God’s own Word indicates that we are “made in His image.” The creation story in the Bible’s first book contains the following words:

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” (Genesis 1:27)

Among our “likeness” with God are that, like Him, we can be both pleased or grieved. We know this about ourselves from experience. We know this about our God from His words in Scripture. Listen for this ruth in the verses below.

“Through him (Christ) let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices ARE PLEASING to God.” (Hebrews 13:15-16)

“Do not GRIEVE God’s Holy Spirit, who sealed you for the day of redemption. All bitterness, anger and wrath, insult and slider must be removed from you, along with all wickedness. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:30-32)

An indisputable symptom of loving God and being spiritually alive in Christ is that we are seriously concerned about pleasing our Lord, and about avoiding EVER grieving Him.

I remember coming home one day when I was very young and finding my mom obviously upset and crying. She and my dad had “had words” and dad had gotten loud and verbally hostile (as he was prone to do). My heart was immediately hurt from just seeing my mom’s grief. I got up the nerve to go to the field and ask my dad to go talk kindly to my mom. Seeing my serious concern and pained demeanor finally moved my dad to go and talk to mom. I think he actually felt some pain for having hurt mom’s feelings.

Each of us so need to be acutely conscious of whether our lives and attitudes please God or grieve Him. If we can grieve Him (as my dad did my mom) and feel no deep regret, we ought to be concerned that an essential “likeness” with God we were given by Him may be gone, and with it our ability to please Him also gone. If this abhorrent loss of my likeness with God is gone I cannot “draw near to God” (Hebrews 11:6) nor please Him. I have then become incapable of “Godly grief” (2 Corinthians 7:9) and so have lost my ability to repent, and thus be saved.

So what is the remedy for this dooming plight? Meditate on the awesome wonderfulness of God until your heart is moved to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Reflect on His compassion, grace and love toward you that moved Him to send Jesus take your guilt and give you His innocence. This was so you could have eternal life. When these realities melt your heart you’ll be able to regain your likeness to God and to regain your daily walk with Him.