THINK TOGETHER.
What makes God sad?
READ TOGETHER.
Ephesians 4:30. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
Did you know that you can make the Holy Spirit sad? That is Paul’s warning to us in Ephesians 4:30 – do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.
Specifically, Paul was talking about the way that we talk to each other and treat each other. Read today’s verse again with the verse right before it and right after it:
Ephesians 4:29-32. 29Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Making the Holy Spirit sad comes from how we treat each other. Why do you think that is? Why would the Holy Spirit be sad if I use foul or abusive language against you? Why would he be sad if I have anger toward you?
The Holy Spirit is saddened when we treat each other nasty for three reasons:
1. Because God made that person in his image. God loves the person that you are abusing with your mean words.
2. Because the Holy Spirit is changing you into the likeness of Jesus. So when you act with bitterness, rage, and anger or say harsh things to others, the Holy Spirit is sad because you are not acting like Christ. Christ Jesus is always kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, and that is exactly what the Holy Spirit wants you to be too.
3. Most importantly, he Holy Spirit is saddened when we treat others poorly, because he has made us his own. The Holy Spirit knows that when we refuse to be kind and forgiving, we have forgotten WHOSE we are. We are God’s! We are the Holy Spirit’s possession. Like we read on Day 34, we are his temple. The Spirit isn’t sad simply because you were bad. He’s sad because you aren’t trusting what you are – HIS.
His beloved, chosen, saved, and transformed new creation.
Because of the Holy Spirit we are God’s beloved, chosen, saved, and transformed new creation.
With the Holy Spirit we can avoid making God sad by the way we treat others.
DO SOMETHING TOGETHER
Use Ephesians 4:29-32 to a chart with two columns: things that make the Holy Spirit happy, things that make the Holy Spirit sad. How does remembering WHOSE we are help keep us in the “happy” column?
PRAY TOGETHER
Father, I don’ want to make the Holy Spirit sorrowful. Help me to see that when I am mean to others it makes your Spirit sad. Amen.
TLICfamily 