Saturday, July 31: Relationships

Life is all about relationships, as family, friends and co-workers either can enhance each experience or can make each one much more stressful. Before pointing fingers, we need to realize that we carry that same tenuous arrangement in the lives of others. Occasionally, at the very least, we will make the lives of others stressful. Without having the relationship with God as the focus of our lives, we have no chance in our other relationships. Even with that relationship with our Creator intact, there will be failures in our interpersonal relationships. God knows our weaknesses and consequently, much of the Bible instructs us in how to get along with others. The last half of the 10 Commandments gives us laws concerning others. When we fail, how should we handle that?


29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:29-32


Bitterness is a wonderful description, for it is when something leaves a bad taste in your mouth. When a person in your life does something that bothers you, if you dwell on that issue, a weed is planted. The more you think about the situation, bitterness takes root and begins to make all of your life taste in that same foul way. That root can take you over if you give it enough time or energy. Instead, forgiveness takes that bitterness and cuts it away. Instead of a bitter taste, only a pleasant taste remains. Part of that forgiveness is the knowledge of what God forgave in each of our lives. When we do not resolve conflicts, we grieve the Holy Spirit.


Grieve is a deep word here. Commonly when we feel grief, it is overbearing sadness for a loss, as in the death of a close relative. When the verse tells us "do not grieve the Holy Spirit," it reminds us that first of all, it is possible for us to do that! In itself, that teaches us much about God, as we can see how the smallest of our actions can affect Him! Since it is possible through our sin, and because we all sin, we all will grieve the Holy Spirit. Since the tri-unity of God is one, in the same manner, we grieve the Father and the Son through our sin. The Holy Spirit protects us for the day of redemption, though we obviously continue to sin.

Remember, the devil is looking for a foothold in your life. He will use situations where others let you down as well as situations where you let others down to cause huge issues in your lives. Once again, that foothold will not happen unless the situation is not resolved. Let it go! In the grand scheme of it all, is it really that big of a deal. Forgive, as you have been forgiven.


Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1 Peter 2:1-3