We are…hurt.
We are… in pain.
Likewise, its twin, if not, at least, sibling, is the matching brewing anger that asserts itself too quickly.
Most of us are not aware it has popped up until after the fact.
The wreckage. The carnage. The death.
When somehow, like Saul, we fall on our sword.
Fellow Rebel, do you recognize yourself?
How have you been acting out lately?
I ask, from the challenging place of my own unflattering hotheadedness.
It doesn’t always appear obvious.
It often takes on the simmering, quiet, brooding anger. Passive. You know. When someone asks how I’m doing.
And my response is “I’m fine.”
That can be the most dangerous, more dangerous than running through streets, wielding a Samurai sword or a gun.
The anger corrodes, even if it looks, sounds, and feels quiet.
So why do we have anger, anyway?
Because it is an alarm.
Something has hurt, wounded, threatened, or slighted us.
And often, yes, it can be unjust.
You have, I’m sure, heard the phrase, “Don’t reward bad behavior.”
This is right up anger’s alley.
We want to fight bad behavior. We want to avenge.
A little problem, however?
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay,’….”
Romans 12:19
Yep, we see in dissatisfying, human reality that His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:9).
HE has a different way of handling things.
So, what are we, then, to do about THAT?
Be angry and sin not.
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:”
Ephesians 4:26
Oh sure, no problem.
Come on.
The angry horse has probably ALREADY left the barn. It’s galloping.
Is it hopeless then?
No, not quite.
Does the solution feel great?
No, not quite.
For now we are challenged with the concept of self-control.
Who out there enjoys self-control? I mean, really?
Examples of self-control?
Shutting our mouths when we want to curse the person into the next realm.
Doing something we DO NOT WANT to do.
You know, the whole “not my Will, but Thy Will be done” approach (Luke 22:42).
And, of course, we cannot leave out this one…
Forgive them.
A show of hands right now, please.
Who’s groaning with me at these possible self-control options?
Hands, hands, everywhere.
There exists another approach to dealing with anger.
Behold…
“Be angry, yet do not sin; on your bed, search your heart and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 4:4-5
I know. It seems like we are being asked to double down on rewarding the bad behavior, doesn’t it?
On the one hand, we are given the green light to “be angry.” There’s still the pesky “don’t sin” thing being instructed. But maybe, if we just stop at Psalm 4:4, we can handle things. Leave it alone.
SELAH, after all.
But no.
Psalm 4:5 rubs some rancid lemon juice into the infected wound, doesn’t it?
“Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the LORD.”
If we further wanted to torture ourselves, we could skip on down to this scripture…
“Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:20
The “kill ‘em with kindness” approach, huh?
(Let’s be honest. We just want to kill ‘em and leave it at that).
Come on! Cop to it!
Lying is a sin also. (Exodus 20:16).
Okay, so we’re angry, we are endeavoring NOT to sin, we are pausing, SELAH-ING all over the place. We try to sacrifice some righteous act in response to the bad treatment.
How it that going?
If “results may vary” is the answer, there are still some other methods He wants us to employ.
Carry our own load.
“For every man shall bear his own burden.”
Galatians 6:5
There’s nothing like personal responsibility.
It works for “them.” It works for “us.”
That includes anger. Our response to it.
Sometimes, anger, again, is the alert to us, letting us know we have been hurt or mistreated in some way.
It provokes awareness. It necessitates action.
How will we address an issue?
What will we do?
What will we STOP doing?
These are big anger questions.
And they can be Spirit-led. We don’t have to be out of control, destroying everything and everyone in our path. We can pause, ask for wisdom (James 1:5), and move forward.
And that can mean approaching someone about an issue.
Let everything be established amongst two or three witnesses.
“This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.”
2 Corinthians 13:1
Did we bring something uncomfortable up with someone?
Was the discussion tense?
Scripture encourages us to address grievances with another person.
How did that go?
Did it go well?
With deaf ears?
Apathy?
Made even further hostility?
We are encouraged to first go one-on-one with a person about an issue.
If that didn’t go well, we next need to bring more reinforcement.
And try again.
Maybe bring in more people to help make our case.
And after two or three instances or witnesses of that attempt, the challenge is then to receive the response as the answer.
A permitted granting to “let it go.”
A kind of peace, reassuring us that we have tried.
That is our better behavior, no matter what their “bad behavior” may be.
Take peace in that.
With all that said…
Bear one another’s burdens.
“Bear ye one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
I know.
We just stopped talking about letting go, personal responsibility. Everyone carrying their sack of rocks.
So now… this?
Bearing each other’s burdens?
Now would be a great time to remind ourselves that the faith walk is unique and situational, tailored to a person, and a circumstance.
So, yes, sometimes, in keeping with “not My Will, but Thy Will be done,” we do what we don’t necessarily feel like doing, including helping people.
That is not a popular thing to tout in Christianity.
There is the assumption that we, as followers of Yahshua, are supposed to be giddily happy, serving all the time.
Uh, for me personally, “giddily” really pushes it sometimes.
That’s why it’s a sacrifice. An offer of obedience. Surrender.
All those words we grimace at in our real lives. They don’t often feel great.
But we know, and we’re not really giddy about it, that faith is different than feelings. It trumps feelings.
“Take up your Cross (Matthew 16:24),” after all.
Hard. Heavy. Painful. Uncomfortable. Scary.
Yep.
That… and more.
And it’s hard on the Rebel.
Our inner James Dean is no match for The Almighty.
