Vibrant: A Life Worth LivingSample

One of the most daunting deterrents in your quest to experience a life of unmatched vibrancy is no one other than you! Often it is self that gets in the way of embracing every day as if it is a miracle, every person as if he or she is a gift, and every moment as a new opportunity for significance.

I know that I can only speak for myself, not for you, but I take full responsibility for all of those times when I have removed kindness from my list of appropriate responses and for choosing to hang onto past pain rather than releasing it. Paul has dynamic advice for those of us who admit our own weakness when it comes to the treatment of others. It is simple advice and uncomplicated wisdom that comes from the heart of the Father through the pen of Paul.

Paul and the Holy Spirit have teamed up to help us with that muscular little organ that lies between our pearly whites. The injunction is this, “Don’t ever, not even one time, allow an unwholesome word to come out of your mouth. Don’t do it! You’ll regret it! You were made for more than this!”

Although you might consider this to be conjecture on my part, we can be sure that the heart of the Holy Spirit was intent on communicating His deep sadness over the way that we speak to one another.

The word that the Holy Spirit whispered into Paul’s ear to use concerning this situation is grieve. It is only possible to grieve someone who loves you dearly. Isn’t it wonderful to know that you are loved dearly by the Holy Spirit? He longs to have a personal and precious relationship with you.

Oh! I don’t want to be guilty of grieving someone who loves me dearly, do you? I long for my life to be a fragrant aroma not a vile odor to the Holy Spirit. I have learned that pleasing the Holy Spirit is more than just reading my Bible, giving my tithe, or spending time on my knees in prayer. The Holy Spirit is pleased with my life when I speak words of grace even in contentious situations.