"Why God Cries"

Among the spiritual skills the Holy Spirit trains the disciples of Jesus in is in the area of "critical thinking". This is crucial because so much of what we think and do is the result of simple habits we have cultivated over time and are comfortable with. Think of this enormous bank of habits as Satan's favorite playground.
Learning to live in a way that obeys and honors God as Father begins with how we think. Satan know this so he is constantly working to control our inner world, how we think, which always produces our words and actions. So, if we allow him control of that unseen, secret place within, he will control what we say and do.

"As a prisoner of the Lord then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:1-2
"So I tell you this and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do in the futility of their thinking." 4:17
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption." 4:30

The work of the Holy Spirit of God is crucial here because he alone can equip us for this lifelong battle with our common enemy. The fact is we all come to God under Satan's control - we are sinners. After we embrace Jesus in faith and obedience to his gospel we still live in the same environment of sin's dominance, we still go to the same job every day and we still interact with the same people who were in our lives before. This puts all of us in daily risk of reverting to the familiar lifestyle. That happens often and makes the Spirit of God "grieve" to see his "students" rebel against God' love.

We are creatures of habit so the Spirit works within us to (1) directly confront Satan in a very personal way, and (2) train us in a new set of "spiritual skills" that God has made available for our eternal benefit. Here are two definitions that should challenge all of us to evaluate our thinking:

Habit is a learned action we tend to repeat without thought or careful consideration. We just do it because it's what we've always done and it feels comfortable.
Skill, though virtually always initiated with some measure of habit, continues to learn without getting stuck in the past on a way of thinking and acting that no longer produces a positive outcome. True skill constantly seeks to grow, to improve, to see a better way.

Quite often, as in Ephesians 4, Paul tells his readers "DO THIS", "DON'T DO THAT". These instructions are simple enough to define and understand but being human, as Paul admits at Romans 7:14-25, we often struggle with the "doing". Here is Paul's conclusion -
"I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my flesh a slave to the law of sin." 7:25

The Spirit's goal, indeed God the Father's goal for all of his children, is a very lofty ideal -
"become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." 4:13

Paul admitted that he wasn't there yet, but said, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ." Philippians 3:14

We all need Paul's brand of "critical thinking" that eliminates any desire to "live as the Gentiles do", because that "futility of thinking" will always end in tragedy. The Holy Spirit knows this so he works very hard to train us to see and follow a better way. And when we turn our backs and deaf ears to God, the Spirit weeps in grief.

Personally, I am very encouraged by Paul's assessment of his own daily battle -
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

So can I and so can you! HALLELUJAH!