Have you ever been REALLY disappointed with someone? How do you usually deal with it?
It can be very tough to display love or forgiveness to someone who has hurt you and yet were are called to do it anyway. Take soe time to reflect on how God's grace has been visible in your life. What would it look like to show that grace to someone who has wronged you.
Showing posts with label Anger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anger. Show all posts
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Parents
From Faith on the Edge,
" 'Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive' (Colossians 3:13). Even our parents. 'Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you' (Ephesians 4:32). Even our parents. Is your heart like a knotted up fist, full of anger, bitterness or resentment toward your mom and/or dad?
Pray this prayer: Lord, i can't do it. I can't forgive them. I've been hurt too deeply. But, I put my heart in your grip. Lord, I give you authority to loosen the knotted fist of my heart. But you have to do it. I can't.
That's a start. Nobody said loving your parents would be a piece of cake. It takes hard work and a lot of prayer. it takes forgiveness and offering grace. god loves it when you love them. It honors the decision he made to put you in your family.
Do you truly believe God put you in your family because He loves you?
Read 1 Corinthians 1:37 and 1 Corinthians 13, what do these say to you?
When will you see your parents next? What specific things can you do to show your appreciation for them?
How do your parents show love? (and they do show love)
Do you need to forgive your parents for anything?-
" 'Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive' (Colossians 3:13). Even our parents. 'Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you' (Ephesians 4:32). Even our parents. Is your heart like a knotted up fist, full of anger, bitterness or resentment toward your mom and/or dad?
Pray this prayer: Lord, i can't do it. I can't forgive them. I've been hurt too deeply. But, I put my heart in your grip. Lord, I give you authority to loosen the knotted fist of my heart. But you have to do it. I can't.
That's a start. Nobody said loving your parents would be a piece of cake. It takes hard work and a lot of prayer. it takes forgiveness and offering grace. god loves it when you love them. It honors the decision he made to put you in your family.
Do you truly believe God put you in your family because He loves you?
Read 1 Corinthians 1:37 and 1 Corinthians 13, what do these say to you?
When will you see your parents next? What specific things can you do to show your appreciation for them?
How do your parents show love? (and they do show love)
Do you need to forgive your parents for anything?-
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
"It was a gift"
Last night Jessa and I went downtown. As we were getting out of the car I noticed a homeless man sleeping on a bench near us. My initial reaction was one of slight compassion; I wished out loud that we had a blanket to give him. As we walked away I thought it might be wise to check in the trunk for one. To my surprise there was one there. This is not a story about God miraculously providing a blanket, but rather my excuse for not giving it up. The blanket was one that had been given to me as a Christmas gift a few years ago. So I closed my trunk while saying "it was a gift" and walked again towards our original destination. We got a few steps down the road when I realized what I had just done. I had asked for a blanket, received one (though far in advance of when i expected to need it), and completely failed to recognize that this blanket was a gift to me in a much greater sense. It was an incredibly humbling experience. This whole exchange lasted maybe 5 minutes and even after retrieving the blanket I felt more doubts coming into my mind. I realized he had 2 or 3 blankets with him. And after almost ditching the whole thing and getting on with my night I offered the man the blanket, he took it, and that was it. I praise God for providing that blanket and confess that I failed to live up to my end of the bargain. Sure the man ended up with it, but I fought it like a small child fights for a toy that's not even his.
You'd think that would be enough for one night. However, on the way back to the car another homeless man was picking through the trash. A man* driving by slowed down his car and yelled obscenities at the man, telling him to get out of the trash can and get a job. I was extremely mad at the situation unfolding before me. After yelling at the driver, and hearing a faint hearted "no" come from the man at the trash can in response to being told to leave it by the driver, I wondered what rush a person could get out of yelling at someone picking through trash. Did this driver have a special relationship with that trash can? Was the homeless man guilty of stealing someone's unwanted portion of partially eaten, rotting food?
What I took from this night was that I need to look for answers to prayer, and then be willing to act on them. I also learned that as Christians or role as God's hands and feet goes far beyond cheap words. If we aren't willing to help, are we any better than one driving by and yelling? Where is our compassion as a church?
You'd think that would be enough for one night. However, on the way back to the car another homeless man was picking through the trash. A man* driving by slowed down his car and yelled obscenities at the man, telling him to get out of the trash can and get a job. I was extremely mad at the situation unfolding before me. After yelling at the driver, and hearing a faint hearted "no" come from the man at the trash can in response to being told to leave it by the driver, I wondered what rush a person could get out of yelling at someone picking through trash. Did this driver have a special relationship with that trash can? Was the homeless man guilty of stealing someone's unwanted portion of partially eaten, rotting food?
What I took from this night was that I need to look for answers to prayer, and then be willing to act on them. I also learned that as Christians or role as God's hands and feet goes far beyond cheap words. If we aren't willing to help, are we any better than one driving by and yelling? Where is our compassion as a church?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Dealing with anger
Ephesians 4:26-27 says "In you anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."
There are times when I fail miserably to obey this verse. Sometimes events or people can frustrate us so much that we either react wrongly or hold it against the person. I'm sure all of us have had times when letting go of something someone has done or said to you has been very difficult. The image of a giving the devil a foothold here is the part of this passage that really gets to me. Its not as if all of a sudden you sinned in your anger and then it goes away. If we allow the devil to get a foothold in our lives it can become a much bigger issue. Anger is one of those things that people can hold onto forever. It has ruined families and friendships. it is not as if anger itself is bad. Jesus got angry. There are times when I believe anger can be the correct response to something. This issue becomes sin when the anger at a situation or condition stops being the focus and your anger is towards a person. When Jesus angrily cleared the merchants from the temple he was really ticked off. The were making a store out of God's house. Yet he didn't stop loving those people, even though he hated what they were doing. A few verses later in Ephesians (5:1) we are told to "be imitators of God, as dearly loved children". We can find many times in scripture where the God we are to imitate was angry, yet He never forgot that the anger was intended to bring about change. Once the need for change was put forth God offered love. Anger that is an outflow of love is not inherently bad.
There are times when I fail miserably to obey this verse. Sometimes events or people can frustrate us so much that we either react wrongly or hold it against the person. I'm sure all of us have had times when letting go of something someone has done or said to you has been very difficult. The image of a giving the devil a foothold here is the part of this passage that really gets to me. Its not as if all of a sudden you sinned in your anger and then it goes away. If we allow the devil to get a foothold in our lives it can become a much bigger issue. Anger is one of those things that people can hold onto forever. It has ruined families and friendships. it is not as if anger itself is bad. Jesus got angry. There are times when I believe anger can be the correct response to something. This issue becomes sin when the anger at a situation or condition stops being the focus and your anger is towards a person. When Jesus angrily cleared the merchants from the temple he was really ticked off. The were making a store out of God's house. Yet he didn't stop loving those people, even though he hated what they were doing. A few verses later in Ephesians (5:1) we are told to "be imitators of God, as dearly loved children". We can find many times in scripture where the God we are to imitate was angry, yet He never forgot that the anger was intended to bring about change. Once the need for change was put forth God offered love. Anger that is an outflow of love is not inherently bad.
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