The Holy Spirit is a person. As basic as this may sound, it is a reality that must be acknowledged if we intend on building a genuine relationship with Him. He is not a magical force floating around the universe aimlessly. Neither is He a figment of imagination blindly accepted by Christians just to meet religious standards. The Holy Spirit is who Jesus left the world with after His redemptive assignment was completed. Imagine if all mankind had after Jesus’ departure to Heaven was the Bible, and loads of ancient stories passed down from generation to generation. After over 2,000 years, our Christian walk would feel more like an outdated religion because there would be no spark of reality to buttress what we claim to believe.
Think of an old, dusty history book that has remained on a shelf for countless decades. Although the content in the book may be factual, grasping the truths in it might be tiring, and perhaps even boring. You may even begin to wonder how reliable or useful such an old artifact can still be after so many years. The Holy Spirt can be likened to a colorful highlighter that has the ability to breathe life and meaning over that book, despite its timeworn nature. He escalates Christianity from being a basic belief system, to being a truth implanted and alive in our hearts although we were not present at the Cross of Calvary centuries ago.
In fact, the reality of the personhood of the Holy Spirit can be linked to an interesting scripture in Ephesians 4:30. “And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption (NLT).” If the Holy Spirit can be saddened at all, it implies that we are not dealing with an emotionless being. He cares, He loves, He hurts, and He feels. This is why sensitivity to His presence is necessary.
Practical Ways to Be Sensitive to the Holy Spirit
1. Do not harden your heart to sin: one role of the Holy Spirt is to convict us of our sins. (John 16:8) When conviction occurs and we decide to ignore it continuously, we basically disregard His corrections and will eventually face the consequences. It is costly to ignore the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
2. Talk to Him: since He is a person, we must acknowledge His presence by actively engaging Him in conversations. Not only in the place of prayer, but even randomly throughout our day. Involve Him in decision making. Sing to Him. Vent to Him. Laugh with Him. He desires a relationship, and no authentic, long-term bond can be formed by speaking to someone once in a while.
3. Listen to and obey Him: it is illogical to speak to Him, and yet expect no response. The Bible refers to Him as a teacher (John 14:26, 1 John 2:27) which means He can speak right back to us whether audibly, through the Word of God, in dreams and visions, through people, etc. So, pay attention to His voice and abide by the wisdom He offers. By doing so we express respect and appreciation for His presence in our lives. Obedience to the voice of the Holy Spirit guarantees constant communion with Him.
4. Be intentional about spending time with Him: as a student, I personally struggle with this and I am sure many others do as well. The key here is to not give the Holy Spirit our spare time. We must treat Him like a friend whose company is genuinely enjoyed. This may require setting personal prayer-time alarms, reminders or even attending church consistently. Our numerous responsibilities can make it extremely easy have a “good morning-goodnight” kind of relationship with Him. To counter this we have to deliberately incorporate Him into our schedules, and bask in His presence habitually.
5. Create an atmosphere He can dwell in: there are certain environments which can make Him uncomfortable and unhappy. Practically speaking, what type of music do you listen to? What do you watch? What kind of conversations do you entertain? What words come out of your mouth when frustrated? What do you engage in behind closed doors? Always keep in mind that He is not referred to as the Holy spirit for no reason. Unholy, sinful and worldly atmospheres are not His favorite places to be. We must honor that daily, and ask for His help in ensuring that we do not grieve Him by our actions or surroundings.
Written: Terri
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