I wrote yesterday about the fact that the Holy Spirit loves gratitude and thanksgiving, that when he sees our gratitude, He rushes in to do what He loves to do; to ‘shed abroad the love of God in our hearts’ Romans 5:5, in even greater measure. That set me thinking about the Holy Spirit, and about what He loves and what grieves Him.
We read in Ephesians that what comes out of our mouths is very important in this respect. ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it might benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you are 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 4:29-32.
Wow, quite a list, was he really writing to Christians we wonder? Well yes! and he was probably thinking about what Jesus said, about our mouths letting everyone know what is in our hearts. Matthew 12:34. What we entertain in our hearts, and partner with in our thoughts, will eventually burst out of our mouths unless we allow the Holy Spirit to help us. He knows what is in our hearts before it comes out and He knows what is in our hearts even if we hold it all in and let nothing out!!
We know that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, so when we ‘grieve Him’ it is not about Him leaving us. He will find a way to let us know when we have grieved Him, and He will be specific about what it is, and He will be there to help us, but if we ignore His prompting He may well go very quiet on us.
If we look at what happened to Jesus in Nazareth, although He was no less anointed by the Holy Spirit than at any other time during His three year ministry on earth, we read that ‘He could not do any miracles there except lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them’. Jesus was ‘amazed at their lack of faith.’ Mark 6:5,6. Jesus had done the most amazing things all around the country after leaving the wilderness ‘in the power of the Spirit’ Luke 4:14, but not here in Nazareth. It would appear that the Holy Spirit had gone very quiet.
The people in Nazareth had somehow been offended by Jesus’ teaching and wisdom, apparently saying something like, “Who does He think He is?”. There were no signs and wonders in Nazareth and we don’t read of Jesus ever returning there again. Out of the mouths of the people in Nazareth came doubt, unbelief, skepticism, judgements and ultimately the rejection of Jesus, and, although we are not specifically told, the Holy Spirit was grieved.
If it is those negative thoughts and feelings in our hearts and on our lips that grieve the Holy Spirit, then it is more important than ever that we fill our hearts with gratitude and our mouths with thanksgiving; that we fill our hearts and minds with the opposite of those attitudes that quench or grieve Him.
So Paul encourages us to ‘Be joyful, pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit (put out the Spirit’s fire); do not treat prophecy with contempt. Test everything. Hold onto the good. Avoid every kind off evil.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21.
Today let us honour and ‘draw’ the Holy Spirit ever more strongly into our lives by filling our hearts with gratitude so that what comes out of our mouths is pleasing to Him, good for our hearers for and good us too.
