Grieving God

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God..."


Really think about the word "grieve." My dictionary defines it as to "cause to suffer sorrow." When Jeremy and I were talking about it, that came to my mind was "make you so sad it physically hurts."

Did you know there are things we can do to make God grieve?

Verse 31 says "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor [or loud quarreling], and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." You think it grieves God to hear us act in such ways toward each other?

If you keep reading in chapter 5, we are told, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for the saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting..." (v. 3, 4) How many of us are guilty of at least one of these? If we haven't participated in it ourselves, we have at the least not rebuked others who were. I am just as guilty on this as anyone. How many times have we heard or told nasty "jokes," or flippantly discussed adultery, or watched a television show that endorsed homosexuality? These are subject matters that are grievous to God's Holy Spirit. Should we be taking them so lightly? Verse 12 says, "it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done my them [ungodly people] in secret."

Instead, we are to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another," "walk in love," and "do not be partakers with" those who act in such ways, but "find out what is acceptable to the Lord. (4:32, 5:2, 7, 10) Maybe we need to start redirecting our thoughts and our tongues. When something like this comes up, ask yourself "Is this pleasing to God? Does He want me to have a part in this? Is this something that He will accept as 'an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma' or does it just plain stink?"

Let us always remember to "imitate God as dear children." Act as He would have us, just as we expect our own children to act in an appropriate manner. Think about how a child wants to do everything exactly like mommy or daddy does it. God is telling us to follow Him in the same way. While we know we are not perfect and will inevitably make mistakes, we are to do our very best to imitate the Spirit of God.