Day #132 - Do not Grieve
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:30-32 NIV
Are you by nature a forgiving person?
I remember seeing that question on a survey that I took to help determine my emotional health for our pre-marital counseling. Forgiveness has to be the greatest miracle. God is a forgiving God. God forgives us in Christ and He calls us to do the same. Forgiveness can feel downright impossible in some situations, but it is the path to freedom. When we walk in unforgiveness we only harm ourselves and we restrict the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The Bible teaches the Holy Spirit is God and He is a Person. He is not a force or a feeling. He can be grieved. You don’t grieve fire or the wind, you grieve a person. Paul writes in Ephesians 4, “do not grieve the Holy Spirit.” If we are to experience “the Presence” in our lives we have to avoid the pitfalls that cause the Holy Spirit, God’s empowering presence, to be withdrawn from our lives.
The way we grieve the Holy Spirit is bitterness, anger, rage, brawling, slander, malice and ultimately unforgiveness. The Holy Spirit is not an electrifying force that gives you sensational experiences no matter the condition of your heart. Being truly spiritual is not only about supernatural encounters but about the health of your soul.
The gospels record that at the baptism of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended in a form like a dove. He was not a dove, but like a dove. This shows us the Holy Spirit needs to be respected and honored to have Him come upon our lives. If we grieve the Holy Spirit, we are not respecting the dove.
Unforgiveness robs us of the Holy Spirit’s full operation in our life. Don’t just think about what unforgiveness does to you. Realize unforgiveness grieves the Holy Spirit. When I realize my unforgiveness and bitterness causes Him hurt, I don’t want to do anything to harm the One who brings “the Presence” in my life. I want to draw God’s empowering presence, not repel Him.
If you want to be a presence dweller, learn to walk in forgiveness as God in Christ forgave you and the Holy Spirit will be all over you.
Holy Spirit, thank you for your conviction to draw me near. Forgive me for grieving your heart. I choose to forgive those who hurt me and let them go from my anger and bitterness. I pray a blessing over those who have hurt me and ask you to keep my heart soft and open to You and to others. Fill me with Your love. As you forgave me in Christ, so I can forgive others. In Jesus name, amen.
The Holy Spirit helps us forgive. Some offenses are so serious that we can only forgive with help of the Holy Spirit. Thank God for His precious and Holy Spirit! 🕊✝💖
Thank you Lord for your forgiveness and for helping me to also forgive. Help me to keep my heart tender, penitent and humble before You always. Help me to be as ready to forgive others as You are to forgive me. Give me Your heart to love the unlovable. On Jesus's name amen. 🙏🕊🙌