I have a hymnal in my library that’s organized around themes. I found it interesting as I paged through it the other day that the section on God the Father included 71 hymns and choruses and the section on the person of Jesus had 175 songs. Do you know how many songs were dedicated to the Holy Spirit? Only 15. I believe this reflects the church’s overall attitude towards the Third person in the Godhead.

Sure, some Christian groups enthusiastically emphasize the importance of the Holy Spirit and actively invite His presence whenever they meet together. But most Christians have adopted a much more hands off approach to Him. He’s regarded as the “mystery” person we speculate about but seldom feel confident to approach. We don’t know enough about Him to be able to definitely affirm when His manifest presence is among us, and few could articulate clearly how He works today among the church today. You might say He’s the Boo Radley of the biblical story.

Even those who attend Pentecostal churches have widely diverse views about how God’s Spirit operates and how to best create an atmosphere where He feels welcome. Most every Christian who knows the Bible understands the Holy Spirit’s role in creating the world, revealing truth, imparting spiritual gifts and enabling believers to grow spiritually through a process called sanctification. They know that, following salvation, people are indwelt by the Spirit and that He is the One who empowers them for Christian service and gives them assurance, guidance, comfort, and peace.

It’s one thing to know these spiritual truths and another to live them out in everyday life. How many of us are cultivating an intimate relationship with the Spirit? How many are intentionally seeking not to grieve, quench, or vex Him? Do we expectantly watch for Him to “show up” when we gather with other believers? Do we seek His counsel when we pray or read Scripture? Do we even know what His voice sounds like?  

When truth is too difficult for us to grasp, the Lord provides within His Word metaphors from life on earth to help us better understand spiritual reality. One of the metaphors used for the Holy Spirit is a dove. The Spirit descended on Jesus at His baptism in the form of a dove. And in Genesis 1:1 it describes Him hovering over the waters of the chaotic, formless world before creation, suggesting how a bird looks when suspended over something below him. In his book entitled Holy Fire: a balanced, biblical look at the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, R. T. Kendall describes the contrast between a dove and a pigeon. He points out how a pigeon can look at first glance like a dove because of their similar structure. But because their nature is quite different, they don’t operate in the same way at all. Jesus used a similar comparison in His warning against false spiritual teachers in Matthew 7:15-16. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.”

So what’s different about doves and pigeons? Even though the dove is a gentle bird, it cannot be trained or domesticated. The Holy Spirit can’t be “trained” either. He doesn’t adjust to our needs or desires—we must adjust to Him. He’s not a means to an end but a delightful Companion in our journey through life. He’s willing and able to change us into the image of Jesus through His transforming power, but we must let Him have free reign in our hearts. He quickly withdraws when we refuse to heed His warnings and stubbornly forge ahead in our own strength and wisdom.

When Noah released a dove out of the window of the ark in Genesis 8, it quickly returned because there was no suitable place for it to land. He waited another seven days and released it again. This time it returned with an olive leaf in its mouth—a sign that life was emerging from the waters. The next time it was released, the dove didn’t return to the ark. We might not see the significance of this incident at first, but it illustrates important principles about God’s Spirit work in the world.

First, the Spirit of God is holy. He is uncomfortable in an “unclean environment” where turmoil or death reside. When we look at the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), we’re struck by how tranquility pervades the list. The Spirit’s desire in us is to bring us to a place where we dwell in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In this list we see no striving, selfish ambition, rancor, or impurity … in sharp contrast to the acts of the flesh in verses 19-21. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25).

The Spirit of God has another distinct characteristic. He operates in such a way that He does not draw attention to himself but seeks to elevate the other members of the Godhead. His work is to make known to us the riches of God’s grace towards us, and He is most at home in us when we glorify Jesus Christ. This is where some churches get it wrong. By overemphasizing the importance of the Holy Spirit, they inadvertently drive the gentle dove away. Charles Spurgeon put it this way: “I looked to Christ, and the Dove flew in. I looked to the Dove, and he disappeared.”

The Spirit’s work is behind the scenes, hidden from human eyes, and is manifest only in the fruit of our lives. When Christians imagine that a Spirit-filled person is someone who draws attention to himself and uses weapons of the world to win their spiritual battles, they totally misunderstand the Spirit’s desires and ways. He remained on Jesus following His baptism precisely because Jesus never sought glory for himself or won His battles through reliance on His own strength. The Holy Spirit only rests on those who are humble in spirit. In his book that I already mentioned, R. T. Kendall lists the following as sure ways to grieve the Holy Spirit.

1. Bitterness, which includes resentment, annoyance, impatience, and unforgiveness
2. Rage and anger, which includes shouting, brawling, and slander against others
3. Sexual immorality, which includes promiscuity, inappropriate flirting, a casual attitude about the use of our bodies (which are temples of the Holy Spirit, after all)
4. Vengeance, which deprives God of His exclusive right to determine what is just and fair. 
5. Greed, which includes an unwillingness to help those less fortunate than ourselves and a stingy attitude in all our relationships
6. Idolatry, which means anything we put higher in importance or value than God.

As imperfect people, we are of course subject to all these attitudes and practices when we get into the right situation. But Scripture assures us that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). How thankful we should be for the Spirit’s work in our lives! Let’s cultivate our relationship with Him at all costs.

Father, enable me to search my heart that I may find out what pleases you. May my life be marked with humility, reliance on you, and a quick response to the promptings and convictions of the Holy Spirit. Help me to live in such a way that I encourage His presence and fellowship, knowing how vital He is to my walk with you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.