Don’t Grieve The Holy Spirit

What have I learned about Pentecost and how will I incorporate it into my life? I’ve been reminded of the fruit of the Spirit. I need to reflect the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that is the Holy Spirit. I need to remember the warning in Galatians 5:23 to not grieve the Spirit.

I hope we can reflect together on all that is the Holy Spirit. With God’s guidance and reading scripture we should be able to gather all we need to bring the Spirit into our lives and be better stewards of God’s love.

That is probably the most important lesson here. God gave us the Holy Spirit. It is a divine gift and it is ours. We can keep it by recognizing and developing the fruit of the Spirit. How simple is that? Is it as easy as remembering a bible verse? Can we remember to nurture love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in our lives? Can we teach our children to do the same?

I hope so. I want and need all the goodness that is part of that promise so I will focus on Galatians 5:16-26 that calls us to live by the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16-26

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

How will you incorporate the Holy Spirit into your life?