Kindness, Compassion, and Forgiveness

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:29-32

I wish I could take this passage and post it in huge letters on the wall of our hallway. How often do I hear "your mom" jokes? How often do I hear people tearing one another down? Many times a day. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? I imagine that the Holy Spirit is trying to work in our lives, but we've become so far removed from the true things of God that the Holy Spirit isn't able to work in us fully.
Just as I am grieved over the lack of spiritual growth (and really, trend in spiritual decline), I think that also the Holy Spirit must be grieved to see people that were once committed now giving in to their sinful tendencies.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

It seems like any time we examine ourselves and find something wrong in our lives, we need to do more than just get rid of that shortcoming. We need to apply whatever the counter is. In this case it is kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.