We grieve the Holy Spirit when we harbor anger and refuse to forgive. Ephesians 4:30-32
Have you ever considered how some of your attitudes and actions grieve the Holy Spirit? When you were saved, He came to live within you and sealed you as God’s possession. This means you are no longer your own, as you now belong to the Lord and are to live in a manner that reflects Christ.
It’s obvious to us that lying, adultery, and stealing are wrong, but too often we tolerate sinful attitudes and emotions like anger, bitterness, resentment, and an unforgiving spirit. Every area of our life is affected when we refuse to extend to others the pardon Christ so generously granted to us.
Although the pain and injustice of an offense can break our hearts, a refusal to forgive denies God the opportunity to redeem the hurt. We want Him to change the offender and make him sorry for what he’s done, but the Lord wants to transform us. A forgiving spirit flows from our new Christ-like nature and enables us to see others through eyes of grace and mercy.
And something else that can increase our willingness to forgive is a familiar principle from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount—to treat others the same way we want them to treat us (Matt. 7:12).
Credit to InTouch Ministries