Anger or Thankfulness
“Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.” (Proverbs 19:11 The Message)
I find that my anger does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:20). My anger can actually lead me to bitterness of heart and mind and away from the grace of Christ (Hebrews 12:15). The more anger, the more bitterness, the more bitter, the more depression can set in. Why? Deadly distractions are moving me away from the love of Christ.
Is there a cure for this kind of anger? The Bible says to “cease from anger, and forsake wrath” (Psalms 37:8) and to “let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you” (Ephesians 4:31).
The cure is to stop and repent (Romans 2:4). Repent means to humble yourself before God and to ask for his forgiveness and to turn from anger. Make a u-turn and go the other direction-that is repentance. And when you’ve repented, when your heart is clean you need to fill it. Fill it with thanksgiving.
Question. What is the opposite direction from anger, bitterness, and wrath?
Is it not being thankful? Is not having a thankful heart part of the will of God in your life? Consider: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
So, having a thankful heart is a part of God’s will for my life and yours.
Consider Job. He lost just about everything. His heart was crushed and I’m sure anger must have started to creep in… but what did Job say? Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
Giving thanks in the midst of great pain, great anguish, and great difficulty is an act of our will. In a time of crisis, in a time when someone or something crosses ‘our line’ and we feel disrespected… it’s then that we have a choice. We can become angry or meek. Meekness is not weakness. Moses was said to be the meekest man on the earth (Numbers 12:3). Meekness translated equals harnessed power. Meekness is having the full power to act, to attack, to get angry but controlling that urge. The Bible says “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
None of us can ‘rule our spirit’ by ourselves. It requires the grace of God. It requires a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Having a thankful heart and giving God thanks during the most trying times is very humbling and often heart-breaking; “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
When I’m angry at someone for what they did to me is pride. When I humble myself through the gift of being thankful… then God’s grace can heal me. Heal me enough to repent to God and to ask others for forgiveness.
Giving thanks at such a times is a “sacrifice of praise” something we must remember continually (Hebrews 13:15).
Like many of you I’ve faced trials and tests that have shaken and shaped my life. Like you I have memories that haunt me and scarred me. Some are too terrible for print. Yet, when I’ve turned those things over to God with thanksgiving at his direction for my life—they turned sweet in my memory. I can honestly and forthrightly state that I’m thankful for all that God’s allowed me to go through. I’m not thankful for evil but I now can see clearly to forgive the person and see the evil for what it is; a pure heart can separate the one from the other for a pure heart can see God at work (Matthew 5:8). The work of Christ in our hearts is to purify us through the instruments he allows to come into our lives. For Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).
When I’ve faced the most terrible news and fell on my face before God and turned my praise to him… even when I had no desire to give praise… even when my heart was breaking… even when every fiber within me wanted to be angry at God, wanted vengeance on someone who hurt me… when I at that very moment I turned those events over to God… and through grace gave God thanks… in that moment, the sting dissipated, the anger lifted, and clearness of heart and thought came to me. And every time, every time God immediately gave me a heart to give or serve someone else in need. God’s grace changed my view from self to others.
‘Heavenly Father, since the age of 17 you’ve worked this message into my life… into my heart. May you honor this writing and those who read that they may know that you seek those who have a broken heart. For “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Thank you Father, for everything that comes into our life. Thank you for everything that breaks our hearts. Thank you for loving us so much that you take the time to so carefully shape our lives through events and people that you’ve chosen for such tasks. Forgive me for not always being thankful, for responding with anger at those instruments who help shape my life for ultimately your glory. Thank you for your forgiveness, your great mercy, and your love in our lives.’
I find that my anger does not work the righteousness of God (James 1:20). My anger can actually lead me to bitterness of heart and mind and away from the grace of Christ (Hebrews 12:15). The more anger, the more bitterness, the more bitter, the more depression can set in. Why? Deadly distractions are moving me away from the love of Christ.
Is there a cure for this kind of anger? The Bible says to “cease from anger, and forsake wrath” (Psalms 37:8) and to “let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you” (Ephesians 4:31).
The cure is to stop and repent (Romans 2:4). Repent means to humble yourself before God and to ask for his forgiveness and to turn from anger. Make a u-turn and go the other direction-that is repentance. And when you’ve repented, when your heart is clean you need to fill it. Fill it with thanksgiving.
Question. What is the opposite direction from anger, bitterness, and wrath?
Is it not being thankful? Is not having a thankful heart part of the will of God in your life? Consider: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
So, having a thankful heart is a part of God’s will for my life and yours.
Consider Job. He lost just about everything. His heart was crushed and I’m sure anger must have started to creep in… but what did Job say? Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
Giving thanks in the midst of great pain, great anguish, and great difficulty is an act of our will. In a time of crisis, in a time when someone or something crosses ‘our line’ and we feel disrespected… it’s then that we have a choice. We can become angry or meek. Meekness is not weakness. Moses was said to be the meekest man on the earth (Numbers 12:3). Meekness translated equals harnessed power. Meekness is having the full power to act, to attack, to get angry but controlling that urge. The Bible says “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).
None of us can ‘rule our spirit’ by ourselves. It requires the grace of God. It requires a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Having a thankful heart and giving God thanks during the most trying times is very humbling and often heart-breaking; “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
When I’m angry at someone for what they did to me is pride. When I humble myself through the gift of being thankful… then God’s grace can heal me. Heal me enough to repent to God and to ask others for forgiveness.
Giving thanks at such a times is a “sacrifice of praise” something we must remember continually (Hebrews 13:15).
Like many of you I’ve faced trials and tests that have shaken and shaped my life. Like you I have memories that haunt me and scarred me. Some are too terrible for print. Yet, when I’ve turned those things over to God with thanksgiving at his direction for my life—they turned sweet in my memory. I can honestly and forthrightly state that I’m thankful for all that God’s allowed me to go through. I’m not thankful for evil but I now can see clearly to forgive the person and see the evil for what it is; a pure heart can separate the one from the other for a pure heart can see God at work (Matthew 5:8). The work of Christ in our hearts is to purify us through the instruments he allows to come into our lives. For Christ “gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14).
When I’ve faced the most terrible news and fell on my face before God and turned my praise to him… even when I had no desire to give praise… even when my heart was breaking… even when every fiber within me wanted to be angry at God, wanted vengeance on someone who hurt me… when I at that very moment I turned those events over to God… and through grace gave God thanks… in that moment, the sting dissipated, the anger lifted, and clearness of heart and thought came to me. And every time, every time God immediately gave me a heart to give or serve someone else in need. God’s grace changed my view from self to others.
‘Heavenly Father, since the age of 17 you’ve worked this message into my life… into my heart. May you honor this writing and those who read that they may know that you seek those who have a broken heart. For “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Thank you Father, for everything that comes into our life. Thank you for everything that breaks our hearts. Thank you for loving us so much that you take the time to so carefully shape our lives through events and people that you’ve chosen for such tasks. Forgive me for not always being thankful, for responding with anger at those instruments who help shape my life for ultimately your glory. Thank you for your forgiveness, your great mercy, and your love in our lives.’
posted by Michael Byrd at 2:41 PM
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