This past week I found myself in a couple of situations that rose up in me some angry feelings. After examining myself closer I noticed these feelings of anger were rooted in pride. I was prideful that these people who were the cause of this anger didn't understand me and were judging me wrongly. I am thankful I curbed my tongue before I said something wrong and spent time in prayer with Father allowing Him to show me the cause of the anger.
Even when Jesus was being tortured for us He never complained or became angry. No, as He hung on the cross He said instead,
Luke 23:34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Friends, I encourage you when someone misunderstands you or mistreats you do not become angry but love them and pray for them. That is what Jesus did and we are to follow in His footsteps not the footsteps of the world.
I'm linking up with Barbie for The Weekend Brew
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Yes, anger can surely take away our peace. Through lost moments when words spilled out, I am learning to hold that tongue and pray for those who hurt me, accused me, betrayed me. It is the only way I find to remain in the peace of God. Thank you for this wisdom and for visiting me from The Weekend Brew. ~ linda
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
DeleteThanks for sharing how you are learning to hold your tongue. It is tough sometimes and the peace of God can be lost in selfish pride if we allow ourselves the flesh to take over :)
Blessings hon,
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AMEN my friend! Blessings!
ReplyDeleteHi Barbie,
DeleteBlessings back at you friend. :)
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I was reading this week how the whole world lies in the clutches of the evil one. Anger to protect our selfishness is not from God; actually, we allow the devil to work in our hearts. So, yes, I agree, we need to bridle our tongues when he roars like a roaring lion around our ears.
ReplyDeleteBlessings XX
Mia
Hi Mia,
DeleteYes, self righteous anger is not from God but from Satan and bridling the tongue is difficult. Like James 3:6 says, The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. We live in some very tough times and following Jesus' example of blessing and not cursing is getting increasingly difficult, but not impossible. :)
Thanks for visiting, blessings.
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Ah this post is completely topical and right on the button for me. I have finally joined a church group that help people with all kinds of issues (12 Step Recovery) some addictions, some past hurts, others depression and so on. One of my many issues I am dealing with is a sense of injustice and anger issues that sometimes arise in me, for a number of reasons. I come from a poor Working class background and the neighbourhood I grew up in was essentially traditionally Working class. Rather curiously, we all felt equal and there was a sense of community too which is now disappearing from English life, but at the same time people often look down on you for being poor, Working class and what job your parents did and so on.
ReplyDeleteI am now well read and very well educated, to a point anyway, and I can articulate my feelings usually very well and can argue a case pretty well, especially when writing and even when I speak, but when you feel someone is dismissing you as a human being because of your class or poor background, and somehow they dismiss what you say as simple or misinformed because you are not well bred or sophisticated or Middle class and affluent, it can upset you and even make you angry, especially if you become aware that it is not just misunderstanding but wilful misunderstanding underpinned by someone's prejudices about you. Many Working class people, and of course Black people and people from 'ethnic minorities, have anger issues because of this and often, and I speak from personal experience here, have issues of low self worth and either counter it by not getting involved or by constantly trying to prove their worth to others or by seeking acceptance of others and being a people pleaser. I don't know how class manifests itself in Canada but it has been an issue in England for a long time, and it is how we sometimes relate to each other and unfortunately it makes people resent and even hate each other too. What a Christian nation England is?! It isn't really a Christian nation at all, it just has a veneer of Christianity. That's often a bit like people too, who claim to be Christian, but it's much more about being respectable than having an intimate relationship with Jesus.
Would Jesus look down on someone because of their perceived low class, or Black skin, or because they were homeless or alcoholics or had mental health issues? The world rejects all of us one way or the other, but Jesus accepts us as who we are, because He created us!!! In that light, we find true acceptance in Jesus whatever view the world may have of us. And rather than being people pleasers we become Jesus pleasers!
Hi Tim,
DeleteNice!! I am glad you are with a church group! :)
This class system sounds a lot like the East Indian caste system but not as extreme as theirs. Here is Canada we don't have this issue even though we are a multicultural society.
Christians are different because we don't belong to the worldly system and Satan wants to knocks us down, so we are bright targets for others, who do not believe in Jesus, to attack, humiliate and do their best to defile. This may sound weird but, it is good to be attacked as a Christian because it means you are in the enemy territory and doing major damage to Satan's kingdom. :) Although I hate being attacked and it can hurt like stink, I rejoice knowing there is damage done in the evil one's realm and I rejoice in that. I think this is part of the reason Jesus felt joy on the night He was betrayed, not because of His suffering but because He knew a major nuclear missile was about to be dropped on Satan destroying his evil work.
I really am so happy to hear you are with a group that can help you work through these issues that plague you. :) That, my friend, is a direct answer to my prayers. Praise GOD!! Thank you for sharing this Tim, you made my day!
Blessings brother,
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I see that Jesus loved the poor and down and outs because they were more honest than many of the "religious" folks. For quite a while I've been in a fog about the difference between religious and faithful Spirit filled. Now that I see it better, I'm praying more, and speak out as I'm able against false teachings, false religiousness what-have-you, and examining myself more with a better understanding of God's word. If the outside of the cup is clean, and we put on a veneer of "love" and "happiness" and "goodness" but inside is still seething an anger that is directed to God, it is false, and we need to confess it before God, and it is our flesh. My flesh wants preeminence. My flesh wants recognition and love and stuff, lots of stuff, pretty clothes, etc to make myself pretty on the outside of my dying flesh. Ugh! Disgusting! Much better to be ugly on the outside and have God's true beauty from His Holy Spirit shining through from within, not something we can manufacture by exercising our good works, but accepting the fact that God is holy, and we are not, but we can be... (and are if we confess our sins and our vileness)... forgiven. :)
DeleteHi Susan,
DeleteJesus also tells us to be like children who are honest, quick to forgive and forget, loving and more accepting of people who are ugly.
The flesh is hard to deny and that is why I love fasting, it shows me how strong my flesh is and it keeps me very humble knowing there is nothing I can do to earn God's love, how could I, for I am wretched indeed.
God also, though, does not want us to focus on our sin but to focus on His grace so we can be filled with love, kindness and peace. Yes, repent and repent often but know we, like little children, are unconditionally loved by a Father who loves better than any earthly father can.
Blessings,
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I can fake being loving easily enough, but that isn't what God wants...so what most people see as "loving" is just for show, imo, and is only to bring love to the one being "loving". The kind of love Jesus asks us to have gets us hated...because it tells the truth...and the truth is hated in a world that only wants outward show.
DeleteYou are right, Father doesn't want us to fake our love. He knows our heart and the motive that drives us. agape: selfless love of one person for another without sexual implications (especially love that is spiritual in nature) Agape love is to choose to love even when it is difficult and maybe the feelings are not there yet.
DeleteHere from gotquestions.org is a good definition Agape is love which is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself. The apostle John affirms this in 1 John 4:8: “God is love.” God does not merely love; He is love itself. Everything God does flows from His love. But it is important to remember that God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental love such as we often hear portrayed. God loves because that is His nature and the expression of His being. He loves the unlovable and the unlovely (us!), not because we deserve to be loved, but because it is His nature to love us, and He must be true to His nature and character.
http://www.gotquestions.org/agape-love.html
This is the kind of love we are to have, sometimes this love is soft and sometimes it is hard.
Yes, this kind of love will put us in the vulnerable place to be hated, but being hated for Jesus Christ is an honour.
Blessings,
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Hi child of God,
ReplyDeleteyes we should pray for outsiders and for one another. Sometimes, if I feel someone does not understand me or misjudged me, it can be through not fully knowing enough about me - and vice versa. I have to admit that rather than leave the situation as it is I would go and talk to the person to see if things can be explained. If I was angry I would have to wait until the anger had gone first. As I am writing this I am reminded of an incident which happened to me some time ago where anger was involved. I came across many of my writings on incidents in my life, where God taught me things, yesterday. I may put some of them on my blog.
God bless (sorry for the long comment, my husband always tells people that if they see any two legged donkeys around town it is because I have talked the hind legs off them.
Hi Brenda,
DeleteGood advice!! Setting things right is important and talking things over can smooth out the rough spots. Sometimes, though, no matter how you try to explain things, if the person listening has made up their mind, there is really nothing to be done about it in the natural. Prayer and fighting in the super natural is where we must go because this then is apparent it is spiritual warfare so this is where the victory will be found.
I am looking forward to reading this post you have in the making. I love reading about how Father speaks to you and teaches you. I glean a lot.
Blessings hon,
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Hi Sweetie,
DeleteThere are different kinds of anger. One is righteous anger...this is usually when someone is offensive to God, or to our faith...or harming another person...especially someone weaker or defenseless...Then there is an anger at the enemy for what he does...anger is not always inappropriate or wrong...But you are wise to seek God to assess what is fueling it. Pride is such a hard thing to push down inside of us sometimes though.
Anger is not forbidden as it is an emotion...unless it causes an action...hence, "Do not let the sun go down on your anger." I don't think that is a reference to time passing...but to allowing darkness to enter into our spirits.
~Blessings and love & ((hugs)) ~ Lisa
Hi Lisa,
DeleteYes your so right hon. In our anger though, we are not to sin. I believe this was righteous anger as God was being mocked and I ridiculed for my belief in Jesus Christ but the words that were rising on the feelings of this anger were not right and I am glad that I am not impulsive but have trained myself in prayer.
Thanks for these wise words of advice and for pointing out there is place for anger.
Blessings hon,
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Good reminder and scripture. Seeking the root cause is a sign of wisdom from our Father. It's amazing how often it is bred in pride and fear. Been guilty of this a lot in my life, that and chasing the wind… Living the life of a fool has a way of wearing on a person…
ReplyDeleteHi Floyd,
DeleteYou seem far from a fool, but full of humility and wisdom. A gem you are, chiseled from Father's hand and sculpted into a man of God. I am honoured to know you brother.
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