Is He Welcome?

A great author and pastor of the previous century, A.W. Tozer, had a consuming desire to honor God. He said this about the Holy Spirit: 

"I have often felt like getting on my knees and apologizing to the Holy Spirit for the way the Church has treated Him. We have treated Him shoddily. We have treated Him in such a manner that if you were to treat a guest that way, the guest would slip away grief stricken and never return." (The Purpose of Man, 126).

It's easy to echo those sentiments. As one who loves the church and was raised in a Holy Spirit-conscious environment, I can relate to Tozer's thoughts: "Yeah, the church is far-removed from what we see in the book of Acts." And it's true. We need a revival of dependence on the Holy Spirit.

But today, I'm asking the question: How does this look in my personal life? Do I treat Him with respect and awe on a daily basis? Hourly basis? Do I personally reflect a life that is depending on the Holy Spirit and His influence? 

I can throw stones at the church, but it begins with me--with you. We are the church. So if you're a Christ-follower maybe we can ask ourselves these questions:

• Does my conversation reflect trust in God and faith in His ability to do more than I can imagine? Or is it laced with unbelief and a general lack of trust? Unbelief grieves God.
• Do I lean on and expect the Holy Spirit to empower me to love my wife, respond with grace to rebuke from others, provide me wisdom in all of life?
• Do I grieve the Spirit with my pettiness? unforgiveness? Or am I quick to forgive?
• Is my daily time in prayer filled with worship or complaining disguised as a prayer list?