Ephesians 4:26-32 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 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."
"In your anger do not sin." Really? No, I mean R-E-A-L-L-Y?
Now, how in the heck am I supposed to do THAT? I mean, c'mon, I'm really ticked off here. God's bringing all this 'stuff' up and I can't even get angry?
That's not exactly what it say, it says basically - yeah, we can be angry; but don't harbor resentments, don't become calloused, don't turn away from the Lord and away from all that He's done in us. Anger is a 'secondary' emotion anyway, so I've heard. It seems to be the 'primary' emotion that pops up in my life though. Why is that? Well, don't you think it's a lot easier to be angry over something that's happened, than to deal with the pain and the wounds underneath. Ouch! Yeah, I know.
We can be angry at the sin against done against us - God is angry over the sin done against us. He doesn't want to see us hurt. He doesn't particularly like sin, it's oppose to His holiness. The Father turned His face from Jesus because of all the sin that was on Jesus.
Jesus, at times was angry because of wrong. Look at Mark 3:5 or how about Matthew 21:12-13 - I don't think he overturned their tables politely, He was sickened by what they had turned the temple into - it was a place of worship, not making money. Or Luke 17:1-3 "Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them." It's within our best interest to forgive them anyway, to release our 'hold' on them so we can get on with our own lives.
But did you see what He said. "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come" but He's not very being all that nice and cozy with the ones who cause us to stumble - He goes on to tell us to 'watch ourselves'.
Does this mean God hates us. NO! NO! NO! and by the way, NO! God is a God of love. He loves the sinner, the sinner is still His child. If they continue to sin and not turn to Him - ever - and die in their sins, then there are consequences that may seem contrary to His love. But His desire is to see everyone come to repent of their sin and be restored to Him as Father to Child. He sent Jesus into the world to die for sinners because He hates the sin clinging to them. He wants to wash all the sin, the anger, the pain off. All of that is not from Him. He hates to see us suffer under all that, even if we don't THINK we're suffering.
He wants us to be free to love the way He loves - forgive the way He forgives - to comfort the way He comforts. To do that we need to shed off the anger, allow the pain to flow - 'but you don't know what they did to me'. Doesn't matter. Jesus took it upon Himself, so that we can be free.
Let's take a step towards being free today.
The Hurt and the Healer - MercyMe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrPQ-isJnd8
Now, how in the heck am I supposed to do THAT? I mean, c'mon, I'm really ticked off here. God's bringing all this 'stuff' up and I can't even get angry?
That's not exactly what it say, it says basically - yeah, we can be angry; but don't harbor resentments, don't become calloused, don't turn away from the Lord and away from all that He's done in us. Anger is a 'secondary' emotion anyway, so I've heard. It seems to be the 'primary' emotion that pops up in my life though. Why is that? Well, don't you think it's a lot easier to be angry over something that's happened, than to deal with the pain and the wounds underneath. Ouch! Yeah, I know.
We can be angry at the sin against done against us - God is angry over the sin done against us. He doesn't want to see us hurt. He doesn't particularly like sin, it's oppose to His holiness. The Father turned His face from Jesus because of all the sin that was on Jesus.
Jesus, at times was angry because of wrong. Look at Mark 3:5 or how about Matthew 21:12-13 - I don't think he overturned their tables politely, He was sickened by what they had turned the temple into - it was a place of worship, not making money. Or Luke 17:1-3 "Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them." It's within our best interest to forgive them anyway, to release our 'hold' on them so we can get on with our own lives.
But did you see what He said. "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come" but He's not very being all that nice and cozy with the ones who cause us to stumble - He goes on to tell us to 'watch ourselves'.
Does this mean God hates us. NO! NO! NO! and by the way, NO! God is a God of love. He loves the sinner, the sinner is still His child. If they continue to sin and not turn to Him - ever - and die in their sins, then there are consequences that may seem contrary to His love. But His desire is to see everyone come to repent of their sin and be restored to Him as Father to Child. He sent Jesus into the world to die for sinners because He hates the sin clinging to them. He wants to wash all the sin, the anger, the pain off. All of that is not from Him. He hates to see us suffer under all that, even if we don't THINK we're suffering.
He wants us to be free to love the way He loves - forgive the way He forgives - to comfort the way He comforts. To do that we need to shed off the anger, allow the pain to flow - 'but you don't know what they did to me'. Doesn't matter. Jesus took it upon Himself, so that we can be free.
Let's take a step towards being free today.
The Hurt and the Healer - MercyMe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrPQ-isJnd8
Needed this after today. Enemy working in people to come after me and undo any progress I have made.
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