To treasure something is not just to value it, but to guard it, linger with it, and treat it as irreplaceable. It’s what you hold close, not because you have to, but because you’d be lost without it.
To treasure the Holy Spirit means we don’t take Him for granted. We slow down. We make room. We don’t rush past His whisper or overlook His conviction. We treat His presence as sacred, not casual. His work in our lives is not just helpful; it’s holy.
When something is treasured, it’s protected from distractions, from dilution, from being treated like common ground. In the same way, we don’t use the Spirit for our purposes – we let Him shape us for God’s purposes.
In this generation, as many hunger for a deeper move of God, we must ask ourselves:
Are we treasuring His presence or just seeking the benefits without the reverence?
Let’s explore what it means to treasure the Holy Spirit as a church.
1. Welcome Him Intentionally, Not Casually
The Holy Spirit is not a force or a feeling – He is God.
We don’t “work Him up” with music or emotion; we welcome Him with hearts of humility and reverence.
In Acts 13:2, the early church ministered to the Lord and fasted, and then the Spirit spoke.
They made space for Him, not as an add-on to their agenda, but as the centre of it.
🕊️ Treasuring starts with saying: “Holy Spirit, You are not a guest – You are Lord here.”
2. Guard Against Fleshly Substitutes
It’s easy to lean on talent, structure, or emotional energy instead of truly depending on the Holy Spirit. Paul warned, “Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). That verse is a warning to every generation – to start with the Spirit, and stay with Him.
But no amount of lighting, music, or carefully crafted messaging can replace the still, weighty glory of God’s presence. What starts as a good intention can quietly become spiritual performance if we’re not careful – and the heartbreaking part is, a church can keep moving even after the Spirit has quietly stepped back.
🕊️ To treasure the Spirit’s presence, we must resist the urge to manufacture what only God can do. The church doesn’t need more polish – it needs more presence.
3. Discern Without Disdain
Yes, we are called to test the spirits (1 John 4:1) – not everything labelled “spiritual” is from God. But discernment is not cynicism. We can quench the Spirit by rejecting genuine moves of God out of fear, control, or past wounds. Here is a good maxim to live by: Test the fruit, but don’t uproot the tree too quickly.
Paul says clearly: “Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:20–21).
🕊️ Treasuring the Holy Spirit means creating space for Him to move — and the courage to humbly weigh what happens.
4. Stay Anchored in the Word
The Spirit will never contradict Scripture – He wrote it.
But in some circles, there’s a quiet drift: experiences begin to take precedence over truth, and feelings are treated as more reliable than Scripture. That’s a dangerous imbalance.
A Spirit-filled life that isn’t rooted in the Word becomes vulnerable to error, hype, or confusion. And a Word-filled life without the Spirit can become dry, rigid, and powerless. We need both fire and foundation.
Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63).
🕊️ Treasuring means being a church that burns with the fire of the Spirit and stands on the foundation of the Word.
5. Respond in Obedience, Not Just Emotion
The Holy Spirit doesn’t move just to give us feelings – He moves to transform us.
When He convicts us, prompts us to act, or calls us to deeper surrender, our obedient response is the true mark of hearts that treasure his leading. Here is something to ponder: “Tears on Sunday mean little without obedience on Monday.”
James says, “Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says” (James 1:22).
🕊️ Treasuring means following the Spirit’s leading, not just enjoying His presence.
6. Holiness Makes Room for Him
The Holy Spirit is not only powerful – He is holy.
We cannot say we treasure His presence while entertaining compromise. Just as the temple had to be cleansed before God’s glory filled it, our lives and church must be a consecrated space for Him to dwell.
Hebrews 12:14 reminds us: “Without holiness no one will see the Lord.” Holiness isn’t legalism – it’s love responding in purity. It’s choosing what pleases Him because we treasure His presence more than anything.
🕊️ Treasuring means aligning our lives with His nature because the Spirit rests where He is revered.
The Holy Spirit is not ours to control. He is not a feeling to chase, a “moment” to schedule, or a tool to grow a church.
He is the holy presence of God, entrusted to dwell among us, guide us, convict us, empower us, and glorify Jesus in everything.
May we be a people (and a church) who walk with Him in tenderness, awe, and obedience.
Blessings
Nico