GRIEVE NOT THE SPIRIT

Good afternoon everyone.

 

Here is today's Bible lesson:

 

GRIEVE NOT THE SPIRIT

READ:
Ephesians 4:25-32

I will pray the Father, and He
will give you another Helper,
that He may abide with you
forever. -John 14:16

If money were missing mysteriously from your wallet, you would be angry.  But if you discovered that your child was the one who stole it, your anger would quickly turn into grief.  One use of the word grief is to describe the sorrow we feel when those we love disappoint us.

"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God" (Ephesians 4:30) essentially means not to hurt the One who loves us and is here to help us.  For we read Jesus words in John 14:26 that the Holy Spirit is sent to us by the Father to be our Helper.

When the Holy Spirit in us is grieved by our actions or attitudes, the result can be tremendous tension.  The Spirit pulls us in one direction, but the lusts of the flesh pulls us in another.  Paul describes this in Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:  and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."  If this contiues, we may begin to feel guilty and dissatisfied with life.  Soon, joy and vigor may diminish within us, only to be replaced by listlessness and lethargy (Psalm 32:3-4).

So do not grieve the Holy Spirit who was given in love to help you.  "Put away" the bad choices of the flesh (Ephesians 4:31), and live faithfully for God. -Albert Lee

Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down every idol throne,
Reign supreme and reign alone. -Reed
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The Christian's heart is the Spirit's home.

INSIGHT

Today's reading might be considered biblical training for anger management.  While anger is a legitimate response to certain sins and injustices (John 2:13-16), it all too often leads to a sinful reaction.  When possible, one way of diffusing anger is to deal quickly and graciously with the person who has offended us, i.e."before the sun goes down."  To delay sharing our feelings with the offender can easily lead to bitterness and ongoing resentment.  When this occurs, an attitude of unresolved conflict can give a foothold to the devil.  He is then quick to tempt us to seek revenge through word and deed.  It is essential for believers to control their anger instead of allowing it to control them.

 

Have a blessed day and weekend.

God Our Creator's Love Always

Unity & Peace