Do Not Grieve Him, Part 3 | Making Room for His Presence

Key Thought | When bitterness and noise fill our hearts, there is less space for the Holy Spirit to dwell.

Key Scripture | “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. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” – ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭30‬-‭32‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Today, I want to take a closer look at what Paul describes as grieving the Holy Spirit.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.”

Isn’t it interesting that Paul doesn’t begin with the sins we might immediately think of, but with bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander?

I think that’s why I’m so concerned for Opendoor in this season. If I’m being brutally honest, I believe our hearts can grow hardened by the constant noise and rhetoric we consume. When harshness becomes acceptable and outrage becomes routine, it leaves little room for the gentleness of the Holy Spirit. What culture normalizes, heaven does not; and it grieves Him.

We are so quick to judge and use words instead of listening. Lauren and I constantly talk about how hard it is to turn off the noise and rhetoric so that we can truly hear His voice. The Holy Spirit does not yell. If we want to hear Him clearly, it requires the intentional choice to lower other voices so His can be recognized.

It feels as though the church, as a whole, is becoming angrier and more polarized. I can’t help but remind us that this spirit does not reflect Jesus, and it certainly does not create space for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Paul says to get rid of all these things to give more space to Him, not less. He won’t inhabit space that we won’t give Him.

Today, take some time and allow the Holy Spirit to soften your heart. One thing that helps me with this is realizing that He has it. He is a just God and a good God. I can give it to Him and allow Him to do what He wants to do. I don’t have to speak into everything, and often the words I feel tempted to say would only grieve Him. Sometimes maturity looks like silence, surrender, and trust.

Prayer | Holy Spirit, Search my heart today. If there is any bitterness, anger, harshness, or pride taking up space in me, gently reveal it. Soften what has become hardened. Quiet the voices that have grown too loud in my life, and tune my heart again to Yours. Teach me to trust You enough to be silent when I want to speak, to surrender when I want to control, and to love when I feel justified in anger. Create in me a tender heart that makes room for Your presence. Amen.

Reflections

• Is there any bitterness, outrage, or harshness in my heart that I have allowed culture to normalize but that may be grieving the Holy Spirit?
• What voices in my life need to be turned down so I can more clearly hear and respond to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit?

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