Word Servant

“Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”—Ephesians 4:30 NASB      At some point we have all struggled with areas of our lives that either grieve the Holy Spirit, or certainly tiptoe the line. I know that I have tiptoed the line and grieved the Holy Spirit with some of my choices and decisions. While I am not where I was 12 years ago, and I am certainly a long way from where I was just last year, back in February of 2018, I still have moments of frustration and anger that I have to turn over to God before I allow myself to sin. After all, the Word says be angry but do not sin! Wasn’t that just a few verses before this one?
     However, I know that getting angry and saying something harsh grieves the Holy Spirit, just as drinking to drunkenness, smoking marijuana (as it is illegal and we are commanded to obey the authority of the land), looking at porn (the statistic is 92 million viewers a day, most seeing nothing wrong with it—althou…

“Let no unwholesome (literally: rotten) word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.”—Ephesians 4:29 NASB

     Summer is hectic. Added to that, having a four-year-old that struggles with authority and is awaiting pediatrician referred testing for ADD and ODD, simple outings can turn into wars. As a parent, this can be very trying. I am not a doctor; I am not qualified to diagnose my son. However, I am intelligent enough to know that he has behavioral issues that have at times caused me to give pause and wonder if he is on the spectrum or possibly does have ADD or ODD. We’ll only know for sure when the testing ensues, and he is diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist.
     Yet, it makes for difficult times. For example, yesterday I went to get my car’s oil changed and tires rotated. My kid was good for a while but then he started to get bored, wouldn’t sit still, wanted thi…

“He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one has need.” –Ephesians 4:28 NASB
     The Scripture is pretty cut and dry here. Any time I hear the word steal it makes me think of thief. Growing up, I often heard my elders say, ‘Nobody likes a liar or a thief.’ Looking back, I get what they were talking about. If you can’t trust a person not to take your things, then that creates a rather uncomfortable situation. If a family member or a friend helped themselves to your wallet whenever you visited, that would create tensions and resentments. Personally, I would love them regardless and just lock my valuables in the car while praying they grew out of that season of life. However, at the heart of the matter stealing creates an environment of distrust.
     Interestingly, the Greek word for steal is klepto. That is the same word we use today to describe someone who is addicted to s…