Grieving The Holy Spirit - Christian Daily Devotions
June 20 2006
Grieving The Holy Spirit - Verse of the Day :
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
-Ephesians 4:30
Daily Bible Reading Plan
Morning : Ephesians 4
Evening : 2 Chronicles 15-16
Grieving The Holy Spirit
In the Bible, the Holy Spirit is likened to a dove. The dove represents peace and is very sensitive to anything that
disturbs the serenity of the environment. This is the reason why doves are often found beside calm waters.
The Holy Spirit is chased away and easily grieved by disobedience, complaining, sin, wrong attitudes and rebellion. The Holy Spirit dwells on the life of a believer who has the holiness, righteousness and the peace of God worked out in his life.
How can we not grieve the Holy Spirit? The answer can be found in Ephesians 4:31, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor,
and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." From this verse, we can see the ugly works of the flesh which
drives the Holy Spirit away:
(1) Bitterness. This is a destructive, prolonged resentment in a person's heart. When someone has been wronged and
betrayed, bitterness can often enter from that wounded heart. Circumstances which are disappointing can also result in
bitterness.
Bitterness not only torments the person affected by it, it also affects and defiles others. To overcome bitterness, we need
to have a forgiving spirit and to develop a holy acceptance of all circumstances and situations.
June 21 - Grieving The Holy Spirit - Christian Daily Devotions
(2) Wrath. Wrath is an intensified form of anger. It burns like a fire within the soul of a person. Just as easily as
it is stirred up, it can subside just as quickly if we do not meditate on the person who has offended us.
(3) Anger. Anger is a strong feeling of hostility. The apostle Paul is not referring to the godly anger against sin
(4:26), but that which is a result of the works of the flesh. A person will become angry when he does not get what his want
or things done in his way and will fly into a temper tantrum. The best anger management is a submissive spirit.
(4) Clamor. It is to shout loudly or to create an uproar because of a dispute or controversy. The peace of God is the
antidote for clamor.
(5) Evil speaking. This is to use insulting language to talk about others. Let each one of us esteem others better
than overselves. Let us speak respectfully to everyone, even if they are not around to hear us.
(6) Malice. Malice is the desire to harm others, to see them suffer. It is a sadistic and evil attitude that can be
replaced by loving and seeking the welfare of others.
All these 6 negative attitudes will surely grieve the Holy Spirit. The positive spirits that attracts the Holy Spirit are
being "kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you" (4:32).
June 21 - Grieving The Holy Spirit - Christian Daily Devotions
Today's Daily Devotions.
Previous Day's Daily Devotions
Next Day's Daily Devotions.
June's Christian Daily Devotions.
View All Daily Devotions.
Return From Grieving The Holy Spirit, to Holy Spirit Led Christian.
|
