I desire not to grieve.

All I could do was to sit there. I had no words. Even if I had the words they would not be heard above the deep guttural wail from my friend who had finally realised that their spouse was incapable of faithfulness. I waited what seemed hours until exhaustion set in and there was no more noise but fragments of a broken heart. It was now quiet enough to speak but my words seemed cheap and not comparable to the obvious chasm of destruction. So I simply put my arm around their shoulder. I will never forget it.

Why do I describe that moment?

Lupeo.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

The word ‘grieve’ is that word.

It is the deep emotional pain that affects you physically because someone has broken faith with you.

Sadly many know this, some stay in their marriage and some cannot stay. Hearts break because of selfishness to be attracted to another and they break because of selfishness from not being attractive to the one they married. To break a vow is to break a heart. Some wail from beds that are empty and some wail silently in beds that are occupied.

Lupeo.

Now purposely the Apostle in the context of relationships and how we treat each other reveals the possibility that we can grieve the Holy Spirit.

Though dreadful this may sound it is also incredibly comforting.

Our Changeless God! Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, transcendent, eternal God! The ruler and creator of Heaven and Earth, the one who is above all stoops so low, comes down to the dirt of life so much so that He becomes capable of being affected by Lupeo.

Do we think of the world and its sin that does this? Those who trample all over Christ by persecuting His followers? NO.

Paul is speaking to Christians who lie, hold grudges, let the devil have a foothold, steal, speak wrong to each other, let bitterness rise, become angry and slander one another.

It is only the Christian that can make the Holy Spirit grieve.

Today before you begin to hold resentment in your heart no matter how justified you feel then ask this question: will this grieve the Holy Spirit in my life?