January 27: Ephesians 4:29-32

Key Verse: Ephesians 4:29
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Devotion:
Depending on your background and where you were brought up, this may be a hard thing to do – to stop the bad language, bitterness, rage, fighting and other things which do not build up others. In boarding school we learned to talk one way in front of the teachers or parents and another way entirely in front of others students. Having someone point this out when I was in boarding school would probably have not changed the way I was talking and acting!

But when we start to study what is being said in these verses and other parts of our bible giving similar instructions, we find a very different way of life to how we probably have been brought up! The big point we should not miss out on is to not grieve or upset the Holy Spirit. Does that mean we just have to talk to God and the Holy Spirit like we would talk to parents and teachers? Far from it! The Holy Spirit is with us in every walk of our lives, listening and trying to guide us in the correct way of doing things for God.

When we start swearing, taking the Lord’s name in vain, putting down others or getting angry with people just because we are not getting our own way, we are upsetting the Holy Spirit with our words and actions. Don’t forget the Holy Spirit is part of God and God cannot and will not accept these sort of actions.

Have you ever been upset with people for the way they have acted toward you? Have you ever been pushed into a proverbial corner through other people’s actions in your life? This is what we are doing to the Holy Spirit when we do things God would not like in our lives; it is as if we are forcing Him into a corner in our lives where He cannot help us, guide us and keep us from harm...

Points to Ponder:
How often do you get angry?

How often do you grieve the Holy Spirit?