To grieve is to feel the pain of mind or heart; to be in pain on account of evil, to sorrow, or to mourn. Grief is not something anyone inflicts on themselves; it is usually the result of another person’s behavior or one’s own unfortunate situation.
There are times when God grieves over the behavior of individuals and nations, and you may wonder why. It is because He is God, and He has given us commandments to live by so that we do not sin or make a habit of sinning. When we disobey, it grieves Him, and He is also grieved when He reprimands us for wrong-doing.
Thank God for the provision He’s made for us when we do sin-Jesus, our intercessor! “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous” (1 John 2:1).
So, what are the things that really grieve God’s heart?
● Backsliding-That is when we no longer worship and serve Him like we used to: “I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do” (Zephaniah 1:6). How’s your relationship with God? Are you loving and serving Him the way you did when you first came to faith in Jesus? If your answer is “No,” then you are backsliding. You are lukewarm, and God is about to spit you out of His mouth (see Revelation 3:15-16).
● Idolatry-Affection and focus on things other than God: “They claim to follow the LORD, but they worship Molech, too” (Zephaniah 1:5). The Israelites worshiped all kinds of idols, and God chastised them numerous times for that. In our modern-day, we don’t necessarily bow down to worship images, but we do put other things ahead of God, like material things, power, and relationships. If anything is more important to you than God is, then you have a problem.
● Complacency-Being content with the status quo of ungodliness; making no effort to be godly. And for that, God says, “I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad” (Zephaniah 1:12). Some think they can live however they wish after they’ve made a profession of faith; they don’t care about growing their relationship with God. Coming to faith is just the beginning of our new relationship with God, and He instructs us, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Romans 12:2). We are admonished to feed on the Word of God like babies, so we can grow (see 1 Peter 2:2). Also, the apostle Paul admonishes us: “Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7). It is not enough to be saved; you need to grow!
● Living independently of God-Feeling self-sufficient; too proud to ask for help: “They no longer ask for the LORD’S guidance or seek my blessings” (Zephaniah 1:6). Do you ever feel self-sufficient, giving yourself credit for who you are and your achievements? That’s wrong! The Word tells us, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Whatever you are and have is by God’s grace, and He desires to bless you in more ways than you can ever wish for. God has plans for us, and the plans are not for evil but as the prophet Jeremiah says, they are “For good, to give us a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Throughout Scripture, we can see how God yearns to bless His people, especially looking at the history of the Israelites. God was always calling them back from their wayward ways so He could restore them, protect them from their enemies, and bless their crops and wine presses. What a loving God! Although it is our duty as His children/servants to obey Him, He blesses us all the same when we are obedient. He enjoys blessing us!
When by our disobedience we deny God the opportunity to bless us, it hurts Him, since His desire is to make us prosperous, happy, and free to love and serve Him. May He enable us to be obedient to Him so He can bless us. It gives Him great joy to see us succeed.
Maybe you didn’t know you’ve been grieving God’s heart by your disobedience, complacency, and idolatry. But now that you know, are you going to continue to grieve Him, or will you repent? It behooves all Christians to obey the instruction the apostle Paul gave Timothy: “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil” (2 Timothy 2:19). Amen!
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