Anger

Some of us struggle with anger.  We have let ourselves give way to full blown outbursts for so long that it becomes second nature.  We are quick to see red and not take time to reflect on the situation for the minor situation it may be.  It happens on the freeways, in check out lines, with your spouse, with your finances and we can all agree with cell phones services!

Take waiting for someone to cross the road at an intersection for example…  The light is green and you are past late for an engagement.  As you stare in malice at the person crossing, wanting to run them over, did you take the time to think about how much God loves that person?  We sometimes forget the grace He has shown us and how much He loves us.  Sometimes we are Christian bubble that we forget there is a world of people hurting, lost and lonely out there who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We deceive ourselves into thinking God only loves His children failing to think He loves our enemies just as much as He loves us.  He loves those who choose to reject Him.

He loved us when we did not acknowledge Him and when we chose to reject Him!

Proverbs 29:11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

When we do blow it and say something we regret it can take longer to clean up the mess than it would take if we would have just stayed silent, prayed and took time to let the Holy Spirit take hold of the situation.

Impatience is a close friend to anger and go almost hand in hand.  Impatience can lead to faulty judgments before all the facts are in.  They can make a person look foolish.

Lets not forget that all sin costs something whether is is derived from sexual lust to greed to anger.

Take sexual lust.  It will cost you eventually.  It may be through an unwanted pregnancy, a divorce or even death through disease.  These all cost emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually.

Take greed.  It costs to maintain a certain comfort level and as we all know too much is never enough once you heart has led you into greed.  It can even tax your health if it comes to insatiable hunger.

Take anger and impatience.  It can lead to domestic abuse, broken household materials, a lawsuit, court, jail etc etc…

Anger is a serious issue that needs to be eradicated from the Christian heart and life.  It can choke out the love and compassion we should have not only for our families and friends but those strangers we run into daily.

You may be the only open bible someone sees so what if you are only looking down and never looking anyone in the eyes?

The world is full of the ‘me’ mentality and every believer has a call to preach the gospel whether it is through writing, creating or everyday life.  Our every action should gracefully exude all the abundance that only Christ can exude.

^{Romans 10:14} How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

^{2 Peter 3:9} The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

God wants all His children home. He is the head and we are His body.  We are His hands that make moves, we are His feet that take the gospel to all the earth.

Today I ask you to reflect on your life and evaluate how you are living your life.  Is it fully and totally for the Lord?  Remember your life is not your own.  We are to be about the Father’s business in all we do.

^{Proverbs 3:5} Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Set your desires on Him if you are lost.  Let Him guide you into your path if you do not already know what it is.  Allow Him to speak when He prompts you.  Do not quench the Spirit for your own comfortability.

^{1 Thessalonians 5:19} Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies. ²¹ Test all things; hold fast what is good.²² Abstain from every form of evil.

Allow the Spirit the honor of ruling your speech even if you think you are making a fool of yourself.  Who better to be a fool for?  God will honor your obedience.

Did you know not doing what you know you should do can be a sin?  We are to be doers and not hearers only.  It can be hypocritical and damaging to the work of the Lord more than a service.  For those who are really living for the Lord, they have to clean up the acts of those who claimed they were Christians.  It is hard for a non-believer to believe if you are preaching the gospel while downing a few beers and goggling the opposite sex don’t you think?

I leave you with this prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus,

I ask that you comfort those reading this.  We pray together in agreement and ask that you forgive us for anything we thought, said or did that is not like you.  We thank you for your forgiveness and give our lives fully and totally to you Jesus Christ, as you have died for our sins and rose again so that we may have everlasting life.  We turn from our sins and now live for you.  We ask that you give us a deeper desire to seek you in all we do and guide us into the perfect plan you have for us. We pray for all this in Jesus’s name AMEN!

The sooner we stop saying no to Christ the sooner our lives will be blessed!