January I was attending a Bible Study and I got mad.
I was silently fuming.
If I was a cartoon smoke would have been coming out my ears.
I get that way these days when I hear the garbage women believe about themselves and about God.
To make matters worse I started to share with them, as gently as I could in my current froth, that God loves them and will always give them a chance.
They were insistent that many times God turns His back on us, forever.
Ugh.
I kept trying to say that God KNOWS we're sinners. That's never been a secret.
Well, right in the middle of me trying to once again say that God loves us extravagantly, a wrinkly woman in her 70's pointed a finger at me, and spoke while slowing rising out of her chair to stand over me, "You're sinning right now girl! Getting all angry. Anger is a sin."
Stunned I just looked at her.
The entire room was nodding with her in agreement.
Ladies started searching for verses to quote at me about anger.
Whoa.
I shut up.
After it was over, three of the older ladies offered to pray a prayer of confession with me. I told them I was furious but that I wasn't sinning.
I'm still rolling my eyes heaven ward asking for help as I think of this group of the "frozen chosen".
I know, I know, name calling isn't nice either...but you've got to admit that's a funny one.
Anger.
It's a confused issue.
Sure people sin in anger all the time. Probably one of the more popular feelings running through our veins while we sin.
No less popular than guilt, pleasure, or pride.
But I'm hear to tell you, listen closely, You have permission to get ripe royally furious and not sin.
This will not turn you into a bipolar Christian, vengeful and wrathful one minute, peaceful and loving the next. Wrong. Weird.
Matthew 21:12-14
I just want to start out by sharing that my Bible App gives titles to certain sections, and this title is "He Kicked Over The Tables"
vs.12-14
"Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer;......"
Really picture this for a minute.
For some reason I see an old Sunday School picture of Jesus with a whip in his hand chasing people. As a kid I always got a kick out of that picture. I wish I could find it now.
I doubt it was like that.
The Bible would most likely have mentioned a whip in at least one of the gospels.
However, it does mention that Jesus was furious and He kicked over tables! Whoa.
And He did it without sinning.
How is this possible? How can we do the same?
Before I answer that I want to add some more pieces to the puzzle.
Why do we get mad? I recently read (the Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you? by Bruce McNicol) that we are filled with guilt and shame when we've sinned against another person and that we get mad when others have sinned against us.
So anger is often a sign that we're being wronged.
An injustice has occurred.
This makes perfect sense to me.
I get mad at my kids when they directly disobey me. When they don't take care of their responsibilities because they are rejecting my teaching, instructions and values.
I eventually got mad at Mike for having an affair. I had to go through the grief phase to get there but it happened. It felt like he'd reached out an cut me. I was a bloody freaking mess. (read my earlier posts if this is news to you.)
Sinned against makes us angry.
Jesus was furious because the Temple was being devalued. It was being sinned against.
Jesus responded by kicking them out. Literally. He righted the wrong in those moments.
vs. 14 ends with - "Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them."
Justice served and God Glorified.
I want that. I want Justice to be served and God to be Glorified! Yes please.
Going back to my example of being angry at my kids. It's interesting now that I realize better why I'm so angry I have more grace to offer in those moments. It's allowed me to think clearly through the anger. Oh, I'm still hopping mad but I better understand that it's justified anger. I'm supposed to be angry. It's a physical, biological signal that something needs to be corrected. In this case my children.
Think about that again. Anger is a signal, a natural biological signal, that something needs to be corrected. You have permission to get anger. It's perfectly normal and healthy. It's a necessary function of the body.
What you do next is what sets you apart.
I still yell at my kids sometimes during the "correcting". I feel it is appropriate to let them see my anger. Hear my anger. They are the ones who wronged.
I'm the one in this situation who gets to right the wrong.
Now is where sinning comes into play. Not in the feelings of anger but in the actions we take to right the wrong.
Two wrongs don't make a right even if two lefts do. I'm not going to answer how to right the wrong. Its a post for another time. Plus you've all heard how not to hit children or abuse people verbally. I'm giving you permission to feel MAD not commit murder.
After all, when you feel hungry you eat, when you feel sad you cry, when you feel bloated you run to the store for supplies....you know why. Now I want you to feel angry and realize there is a chance to right a wrong and Glory God in doing it.
I got mad at my husband. I threw an epic tantrum. Our house is a bi level and I hopped up and down screaming at one point. The whole house shook in a very satifying manner.Yelling that it wasn't fair. I did resort to name calling which was still fair. I wasn't playing dirty I was hurt.
End of story. I'm still married to him. I got it out of my system and God is healing and righting the wrongs. This marriage will continue to Glorify God. It's a blessing to us and to those we shareour story with.
Our kids have survived and will continue to put up with us for many more years.
It wasn't the end of the world. It was the beginning of my healing.
Get ANGRY ladies.
Stop believing the lie that anger is wrong. It's like saying that people never hurt you. We all know that's a lie.
Stop stuffing. Stop hiding it. Stop believing your sinning because you know you've been hurt.
Let God work in your anger. Get flipping Pissed OFF.
I'll follow up on this later. Instructions for how to getting FURIOUS with a purpose. I'll post it on my new, coming soon, blog that I'll make live before July. Being looking for it.
I was silently fuming.
If I was a cartoon smoke would have been coming out my ears.
I get that way these days when I hear the garbage women believe about themselves and about God.
To make matters worse I started to share with them, as gently as I could in my current froth, that God loves them and will always give them a chance.
They were insistent that many times God turns His back on us, forever.
Ugh.
I kept trying to say that God KNOWS we're sinners. That's never been a secret.
Well, right in the middle of me trying to once again say that God loves us extravagantly, a wrinkly woman in her 70's pointed a finger at me, and spoke while slowing rising out of her chair to stand over me, "You're sinning right now girl! Getting all angry. Anger is a sin."
Stunned I just looked at her.
The entire room was nodding with her in agreement.
Ladies started searching for verses to quote at me about anger.
Whoa.
I shut up.
After it was over, three of the older ladies offered to pray a prayer of confession with me. I told them I was furious but that I wasn't sinning.
I'm still rolling my eyes heaven ward asking for help as I think of this group of the "frozen chosen".
I know, I know, name calling isn't nice either...but you've got to admit that's a funny one.
Anger.
It's a confused issue.
Sure people sin in anger all the time. Probably one of the more popular feelings running through our veins while we sin.
No less popular than guilt, pleasure, or pride.
But I'm hear to tell you, listen closely, You have permission to get ripe royally furious and not sin.
This will not turn you into a bipolar Christian, vengeful and wrathful one minute, peaceful and loving the next. Wrong. Weird.
Matthew 21:12-14
I just want to start out by sharing that my Bible App gives titles to certain sections, and this title is "He Kicked Over The Tables"
vs.12-14
"Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer;......"
Really picture this for a minute.
For some reason I see an old Sunday School picture of Jesus with a whip in his hand chasing people. As a kid I always got a kick out of that picture. I wish I could find it now.
I doubt it was like that.
The Bible would most likely have mentioned a whip in at least one of the gospels.
However, it does mention that Jesus was furious and He kicked over tables! Whoa.
And He did it without sinning.
How is this possible? How can we do the same?
Before I answer that I want to add some more pieces to the puzzle.
Why do we get mad? I recently read (the Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you? by Bruce McNicol) that we are filled with guilt and shame when we've sinned against another person and that we get mad when others have sinned against us.
So anger is often a sign that we're being wronged.
An injustice has occurred.
This makes perfect sense to me.
I get mad at my kids when they directly disobey me. When they don't take care of their responsibilities because they are rejecting my teaching, instructions and values.
I eventually got mad at Mike for having an affair. I had to go through the grief phase to get there but it happened. It felt like he'd reached out an cut me. I was a bloody freaking mess. (read my earlier posts if this is news to you.)
Sinned against makes us angry.
Jesus was furious because the Temple was being devalued. It was being sinned against.
Jesus responded by kicking them out. Literally. He righted the wrong in those moments.
vs. 14 ends with - "Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them."
Justice served and God Glorified.
I want that. I want Justice to be served and God to be Glorified! Yes please.
Going back to my example of being angry at my kids. It's interesting now that I realize better why I'm so angry I have more grace to offer in those moments. It's allowed me to think clearly through the anger. Oh, I'm still hopping mad but I better understand that it's justified anger. I'm supposed to be angry. It's a physical, biological signal that something needs to be corrected. In this case my children.
Think about that again. Anger is a signal, a natural biological signal, that something needs to be corrected. You have permission to get anger. It's perfectly normal and healthy. It's a necessary function of the body.
What you do next is what sets you apart.
I still yell at my kids sometimes during the "correcting". I feel it is appropriate to let them see my anger. Hear my anger. They are the ones who wronged.
I'm the one in this situation who gets to right the wrong.
Now is where sinning comes into play. Not in the feelings of anger but in the actions we take to right the wrong.
Two wrongs don't make a right even if two lefts do. I'm not going to answer how to right the wrong. Its a post for another time. Plus you've all heard how not to hit children or abuse people verbally. I'm giving you permission to feel MAD not commit murder.
After all, when you feel hungry you eat, when you feel sad you cry, when you feel bloated you run to the store for supplies....you know why. Now I want you to feel angry and realize there is a chance to right a wrong and Glory God in doing it.
I got mad at my husband. I threw an epic tantrum. Our house is a bi level and I hopped up and down screaming at one point. The whole house shook in a very satifying manner.Yelling that it wasn't fair. I did resort to name calling which was still fair. I wasn't playing dirty I was hurt.
End of story. I'm still married to him. I got it out of my system and God is healing and righting the wrongs. This marriage will continue to Glorify God. It's a blessing to us and to those we shareour story with.
Our kids have survived and will continue to put up with us for many more years.
It wasn't the end of the world. It was the beginning of my healing.
Get ANGRY ladies.
Stop believing the lie that anger is wrong. It's like saying that people never hurt you. We all know that's a lie.
Stop stuffing. Stop hiding it. Stop believing your sinning because you know you've been hurt.
Let God work in your anger. Get flipping Pissed OFF.
I'll follow up on this later. Instructions for how to getting FURIOUS with a purpose. I'll post it on my new, coming soon, blog that I'll make live before July. Being looking for it.
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