Having pastored for more than forty years I have seen many ways that people put a wet blanket on the fire of the Spirit. The first and most obvious is unbelief which shows up in many ways; such as skepticism, stubbornness, pride, and sin in the life through unrepentance, etc.

Think about it, how many mealtimes do you remember that you had to miss because there was no food in the house? I can’t remember any. Our meals might have consisted of beans and taters but we still had food on the table.

My dad used to tell me stories of when he was young. He told me, when he would drive in the roads (they were not paved highways) that ruts would be so deep that he would take his hands off of the steering wheel and the old car would drive itself down the way in the ruts. It must have been the earliest version of the self-driving car. But I digress—again.

Has anyone ever asked you, “Why are you such a sourpuss?” Once I had gone to get something that I needed at a super building supply store and I didn’t find it and I was deep in thought. I suppose I had a scowl on my face and a female employee spoke to me and I smiled. She said you have a beautiful smile; (I never thought I had a “beautiful smile, more like a silly looking grin. But I digress.)

When I was young, I never thought of my body as “lowly” or as the KJV has it, “vile.” Really, I didn’t give it much thought at all. But now I am not young and my body is wearing out and my aches and pains have developed even more aches and pains, but thanks be to God, all of that is going to change when Jesus calls me to my forever home.

We must act in a manner that exalts the King of heaven and not according to the styles and pattern of this world. If we don’t, do we become “enemies of the cross of Christ?” Just asking.