Here are three things we can do to help the Holy Spirit thrive within us.
First, fall in love with Jesus.
Second, keep his commandments. Obedience to Jesus’ words enables us to be present with the Spirit.
John 14:21-23, “21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
The theologian William Barclay comments, “The degree to which we can possess the Spirit is conditioned upon the kind of people we are.”
If you break one of Jesus’ commandments from time to time, admit it and repent. You may break it again, but the Spirit will work with you over time, taking you to a higher level of obedience.
The third item is to read and reflect on Scripture.
Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago is a Christian megachurch. Before COVID, attendance ran approximately 18 thousand on a given weekend. One of the executive Pastors was nagged by the questions: Are we helping people become more Christ-like? Are folks growing in their love for God and others? A survey was taken of the congregation. The results showed that 18% of the community was stalled in its spiritual growth. Many others were dissatisfied with the church. Ouch. The Willow Creek team went on to survey over 1000 other churches, 250,000 congregants. Willow Creek wasn’t alone in its results.
As part of the survey, the team also tried to understand the most effective activity to enable spiritual growth. The results are given in the book: Move: What 1,000 Churches Reveal about Spiritual Growth. The survey shows that the most effective activity that helped people grow spiritually was: Reading and reflecting on Holy Scripture. This endeavor was up to twice as effective as any other activity.
From page 19, “Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than reflection on Scripture. If churches could do one thing to help people at all levels of spiritual maturity grow in their relationship with Christ, their choice is clear. They would inspire, encourage, and equip their people to read the Bible—specifically, to reflect on Scripture for meaning in their lives.”
From page 167, “Hands down. No contest. When it comes to spiritual growth, nothing beats the Bible.”
The findings in Move align with what the Wisdom Literature in the Bible tells us.
Christians are intended to meditate on the Word of God. We use our minds to chew on Scripture. To mull it over. To reflect on Scripture—day and night.
Psalm 1:2-3 (MSG)
2-3 Instead you thrill to God’s Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.
The Bible, the Word of God, will resonate with the Spirit indwelling you.
In the next blog, we will examine if it is possible to quench the Spirit’s work in a believer.