Ephesians 4:30New International Version (NIV)
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
How many times a day do I grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with my words and actions? Jesus died nailed to a cross for me; for you. He took upon Himself the sins of the world, and He did this because His Love is greater than our earthly eyes can even begin to imagine or grasp.
Every time I argue or disagree with someone, do I stop to think that maybe, just maybe they are in their own battle and instead of being loving and kind toward them, I am only increasing their pain. I don’t ever set out on my journey for the day wondering who I can hurt, but I know I have, and words can pierce through your hearts in ways that aren’t easy to fix.
Just as God is my Heavenly Father and Creator, I as a parent have been grieved by actions of my children. As a parent, I am to protect them, teach them and love them, whilst allowing them to make mistakes, just as I have made, so they too can learn from them. It really hurts my heart, when I can’t fix them or fix the world for them.
Our daughter faced bullying at a young age, and the reality is because she hasn’t accepted the Lord as her personal Savior, she has no room in her heart for forgiveness. She holds onto the hurt and spews it from her mouth when she feels there is no way out. She puts up walls and those walls become impenetrable to break through. Every disagreement, argument or hurt that she feels comes out in anger toward whoever is in her presence when she explodes. In moments such as these, I want to scoop her up in my arms and hold her tight and protect her from the hatefulness the world has to offer. That is not an option. She is in her 20’s now and has informed me more than once that she is not a baby. Wrongs become grudges that never go away. They have such a stronghold on her that the only thing I can do as her mother is to pray that God will continue to work with me and others in her life to show her the way.
So, the point I am trying to make by sharing this little glimpse of my life, is if she grieves my spirit, how much more do I grieve God’s and how do I fix that? I do pray and ask for forgiveness; I walk with Jesus daily and allow His Holy Spirit to guide my actions. There are many times throughout my day that the Holy Spirit will nudge me to go one way and convict my spirit that I need to do something, even if it’s painful for me to do.
How many times does Jesus have to tell us that there is nothing we can do to earn His love and salvation? Once we accept Jesus, we are to love like He does. See the world thru His eyes. Every day He works on me to be a better person. Forgiveness is the key. Showing grace and mercy even when we don’t want to. Being willing to admit that being right all the time isn’t’ worth it, if it hurts the people you love the most.
James 3:5-9New International Version (NIV)
5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness.
All of us must remember that our words can build up or tear down. Be kind. Think before you speak. Love wholeheartedly. Trust in the Lord and follow his lead!
Blessings to you and yours!#HopeAlways#HaveFaith
Jesus,Love, Mercy and Me 