Can We Break God's Heart?

"But I believe there is something here to be learnt of grace

'Cause I can't help but love you

Even with a heart that breaks"

The Widow-As Cities Burn

I remember listening the first As Cities Burn album a lot this summer and really just taking the time to digest the lyrics and think about what they meant in a Biblical sense. When I started thinking about this song I had just finished reading a section in Mark Batterson's book Wild Goose Chase, and I immediately asked myself "Is it possible to break God's heart?" The question was odd to me and it even seemed a little sacrilegious. I mean He is God how could we break His heart? But at the same time I felt like there was some truth to it.

Last night I was reading in Francis Chan's new book Forgotten God and he talked about having the same thoughts. It was crazy we had a lot of the same thoughts on the subject before we got into the Scriptures. Doesn't it just sound weird that we could hurt God. It almost makes it seem like we have some sort of power over Him, but we don't. No matter how strange or foreign it may seem to us we can break God's heart.

Isaiah 63:10

But they rebelled

and grieved his Holy Spirit;

therefore he turned to be their enemy,

and himself fought against them.

Ephesians 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Our sin affects God. It grieves the Holy Spirit. And we are commanded not to do this. I really like how Francis Chan put it, "And since He is the creator of emotions, I believe that the Spirit grieves more deeply than we can understand."

Does that change the way we look at sin? I know it transformed me. I realized that I didn't want to sin anymore because I love God and I don't want to grieve Him, and not just because sinning is wrong. It's so much more powerful than just not wanting to sin. The world would be a radically a different place if we were all aware of how our sin affects God. I believe it creates a reverent fear of God. Something we are definitely lacking. Our motivation shifts from not wanting to sin to fear of grieving our Savior who brought us out of sin and death. It's powerful stuff.

"I pray for a day when believers care more about the Spirit's grief than their own."

~Francis Chan