From Brianna:
Ephesians 4:30,
"Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted."
Sometimes, I don’t think we realize the gift that we have – the heart of Jesus. At least, sometimes I don’t. When I don’t consider the intimacy of His Spirit in me, it’s easier to go a while without talking to Him or to ignore His whisper. When I read this scripture, my heart became overwhelmed. I bookmarked it and titled it “How to Treat God’s Heart”. It is not my desire to break God’s heart. Because of this, I sometimes allow the pressure to be perfect to overwhelm me. God never asked us for perfection, just as our loved ones don’t. God wants our hearts. That’s what He asked for. When He has your heart, you’ll consider His heart in every decision. You’ll consider His heart in your actions. You’ll consider His heart before you speak. You’ll consider His heart because He’s a part of you.
Do you realize that when you ignore God, you hurt Him? What if your boyfriend just stopped answering your calls one day? What if you went up to embrace him and he treated you as if he didn’t know you. Wouldn’t that shatter your heart? It sure would hurt me. Can you fathom doing that to your Creator? Well, many of us do it all the time. It’s not that God can’t handle your rejection, but it breaks His heart to watch our souls fade away. Like any good parent, it breaks His heart to see His child go astray. He wants the absolute best for you. Who better to trust and follow than the One who holds your future?
Treat God’s heart like it’s fragile. Do everything in your power not to break it. Handle it with care. Recognize and share its value. Teach others how to treat it. Most importantly, don’t take it for granted. You’ve been made FIT for Him.
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From Mo'Nique:
When Brianna first suggested this scripture for a topic, I had no idea of what I would talk about in this featured blog. My thoughts were: “Why would anyone want to deliberately hurt God?”
Then it hit me.
This isn't for me to simply explain why we shouldn't want to hurt Him or why we should always want to please Him, but that simple scripture is HIS Word, and it’s God at His purest, placing a simple request for His children. He is saying, “Don’t grieve Me. Don’t break My heart”. Wow. Such a powerful request for such an imperfect vessel like myself. How many times have I went against His will for my life? How many times have I sinned against Him? How many times have I chosen to serve my flesh and rebel against His wisdom? How many times have I broken my Daddy’s heart?
Think about how disappointed we are when someone breaks a promise to us. Our hearts become heavy with discontent. That’s how HE feels when we break our promises to Him as well.
This was definitely a reality check for me. Yes, Moe, it is possible for us to sadden the Holy Spirit. Anytime I choose to disobey or sin against him I am causing sorrow to our Father. If God is love, He cannot leave sin unpunished because it does not show love to the ones harmed by that sin, including ourselves. If our parents did not discipline us when we were off as children, we could have been a grave harm to ourselves. That spanking you received for playing with scissors? It kept you from falling on them or cutting yourself. The discipline that you receive from God keeps you from further hurting yourself just the same.
It’s vital that we recognize why God is grieved by our defiance. It’s because He knows the consequences of our choices. He loves us. He wants to bless us profusely. He wants to share everything He has with us. However, when we turn from Him, when we distance ourselves from God He is sorrowed not simply because of what it does to Him, but because of what it does to us. He is touched by the pain we will experience as a result of our rebellion. His heart breaks because He doesn't want us hurt.
God promises that He will love us unreservedly, and won’t ever leave or forsake us (Heb. 13:5). If God loved us only sometimes but not all the time, that would mean His character, feelings, or attitude is changeable. But our Lord never changes. How amazing is that? So for a God that loves me despite of what my sins deserve, why should I not do my best to please Him and refute sin?