The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him. —Isaiah 11:2
If I am to be today's man or tomorrow's man—should I not want to ensure my anointing by focusing not only on the winds and fire, but also upon the sensitivity of the Spirit? Yes, we long to experience the fire as well as a mighty rushing wind in our church. But I believe that the way to power and more anointing is by being more sensitive to the Holy Spirit. I suspect that the Dove is the link to the fire.
The word sensitivity has two meanings. In essence, one meaning is "the capacity of being easily hurt." The other meaning is "the capacity for being aware of the needs and emotions of others."
The second meaning, being sensitive to another's feelings, is a strength. We all need to develop in this area.
But when we speak of the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit, we must refer to both of these meanings. We may or may not think these qualities are very attractive in the Holy Spirit's personality, but like it or not, the Holy Spirit is like a turtledove—and flutters away where peace does not prevail. However, the Holy Spirit is equally sensitive to our feelings. The Holy Spirit is a gentleman.
There are two main truths I want to make clear. The first relates to the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit. This refers to how sensitive He is when He is grieved. If we can tune in to the sensitivity of the Spirit, we learn what grieves Him, how to avoid grieving Him, and how we must adjust to Him if we want His intimate company.
The second truth is the importance of developing a sensitivity to the Spirit. We must be tuned in to His active will, or voice. If we develop a sensitivity to the Spirit, we will hear Him when He speaks and thus avoid quenching the Spirit. In that way we can see the glory of God manifested in our lives and, hopefully, in the church.
Excerpted from The Sensitivity of the Spirit (Charisma House, 2002).
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