2018-04-20
Good Morning Dear Ones,
COL 3: 10 lists different people who came to Christ from different cultures (slave, free, Jews, Gentiles, etc.), and then, it goes on to say, “Christ is all; Christ is in all.” Why mention this? It is because Christ is the visible image of the invisible God-the One and only God [COL 1: 15; DT 6: 4-5]. We, who believe in Christ, share more than what divides us. COL 3: 13 brings up a difficult subject. “Be tolerant of one another and forgive one another whenever anyone has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another, just as the Lord has forgiven you.” Why is forgiveness a tough subject? It is because it’s much harder to control one’s words when he has a head of steam. This is when hurtful words, words that convey hate, are most likely to escape one’s mouth. Making excuses afterward for what was said and not meant doesn’t always work to defuse the situation.
Many of us have memorized the words to the Lord’s Prayer [MT 6: 9-13 and 14] and say them automatically, without really taking the time to consider what they mean. Here are the ones that matter to this discussion: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” These requests to the Lord said with a genuine heart are critical to our spiritual development, and Christ knew this when He uttered these words. This is not to deemphasize the rest of the prayer, but to highlight them for the sake of discussing forgiveness. We are being asked to examine the status of our heart attitude and to compare it to what the Lord is saying. He is letting us know His will, and we are to examine our hearts to see if we are complying with it. One further point is that a concept which matters to the Lord is often repeated in the Bible. Our need to show the love of Christ and to be forgiving certainly is one of those ideas.
So, let’s look at the anger that was the response to wrongdoing more closely. Certainly, we should ask ourselves, “why is this person acting this way that makes me angry?” Sometimes, it’s because the person who angered us doesn’t know any better. Sometimes, it’s because the person is doing evil on purpose to evoke our loss of control. Sometimes, it’s jealousy, and sometimes he is having a bad day. There are numerous reasons why people do wrong. What matters here is the believer’s response to it. Anger can be constructive, as in the case when Christ overturned the tables of the moneychangers at the temple [MT 21: 12; MK 11: 15-16]. Or, anger can be destructive, the kind that hurts or defeats the wrongdoer with mean-spirited words. God’s opinion of destructive anger is revealed openly in JAS 3: 5b-6, 10. Just as evil words can be destructive, so can evil physical action. When there is a fight as a part of a TV program, there is often little blood. In real fisticuffs, blood does flow; pain and swelling does happen. Consider also the example that we set as adults for our children. The cap to this discussion is seen in COL 3: 17, “Everything you do or say, then, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks through Him to God the Father.” There is no room here for holding grudges. This is seen clearly in EPH 4: 26-27, “If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Do not give the devil a chance.” There are times to walk away from whatever makes one angry, to allow emotions to die down. Then, if it’s appropriate, try to find a negotiated solution. If it isn’t, then leave the matter alone, and God is likely to solve it for us in His perfect time and way.
PRAYER: O Lord, we come before Your mighty throne to seek Your wisdom and ask You to help us gain control of our emotions. Over time, civilizing mankind has been a tough job for You to do. We have made it so, by our refusal to reject wrongdoing and grudge-holding. You have commanded us to be forgiving, and we pledge to try to obey You, even in the most provoking of situations. Learning to negotiate solutions to problems with other humans has been hard for us. That is why we ask You to intervene and give us both Your wisdom and Your loving control of our emotions. We understand that sin begins with an idea and continues with acting on it. Only the wisdom You have and freely give us will interfere with sinning. We are seeking You with all our heart, knowing full well that You alone can teach us to gain control. Your availability at any time of day or night, any day of the year is nothing short of amazing. So is the love You have for us, or else You would have given up on us long ago. We thank and praise You for showing us what real love and wisdom really is. In our imperfections, You never abandon us; instead, You give us unmerited favor when we comply with Your will [PS 9: 9-10; EPH 2: 8-10]. It is the example that Christ set for us that we will try to follow. We are aware that He gave His life on the cross for the sake of our salvation. Greater love has never been shown that that. We offer this prayer with thankful hearts, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I’m commanded to write about Christ’s relationship with angels, even Satan, and how this relationship impacts us. In the meanwhile, let me share an experience I had with the issue of forgiveness. There are times when we encounter someone who is having a bad day and who takes it out on us, even though we had no part in his troubles. This has happened to me on more than one occasion. These people will say mean things that could easily provoke destructive anger or a response that is in kind. In each occasion, it happened when I wasn’t expecting it or well-prepared to deal with it. Sometimes, saying nothing at all, but listening to the criticisms of the wrongdoer, so I might consider them with calm accuracy after the encounter. The first question I ask myself is, “Can there be any truth here?” It’s my way of judging if I need to make any changes in my thoughts and/or behavior. If there is none, then I must shuck off the words which were hurtful, giving them to my Lord. Asking for His help in controlling my emotions is sometimes necessary. In a number of these occasions, I have done this, and then, have seen the Lord adjudicate the wrongdoer’s situation in His own perfect time and way. I’ve even received written apologies from some of these people once they settled down. Patience for both these things is definitely in order! Prayer for the wrongdoer is what Christ tells us to do MT 5: 44-45a, “But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the children of your Father in heaven…” While tough to do, it’s God’s wisdom, and He created us to be able to do His will. Praise and thanks be to Him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2018. All Rights Reserved.
<-- Back to Archives