Injustice as in God's righteous standard not being lived up to is part and parcel in this life. Of course we need to see God's righteous standard now in light of Jesus and the coming of God's kingdom in him, and the vision of shalom that this brings.
James informs us that we're to be slow to anger because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Human anger takes one aspect of reality, and our judgment of it, and makes it the all determining factor, when grace must be wed to truth so that we emphasize grace with the realization that we ourselves don't hold the entire truth, or anything that's true in its entirety.
If we harbor resentment, this will result in anger, and anger at least holds us back from expressing the love and truth in Jesus that God desires. But it often makes itself known in subtle and not so subtle ways which can be injurious to everyone. And violate the Jesus Creed.
If we don't let anger go it will increase, like a pot of water being heated on a stove. The steam will escape some way. And God will step in and rebuke us when we fail in this way. We shouldn't get this far, though at times we will. We need to be sensitive to pick up and accept God's rebuke and repent. We need to turn it over to God and let our anger go.
It is best if we could work through something entirely with one who we believe has mistreated us. Sometimes that's possible, but often it is not. Of course it's not like we're squeaky clean in the whole thing, as I pointed out in the post yesterday. But no matter what, we must turn over our perceptions and thoughts and all that is inside of us to God. And humble ourselves before God and let ourselves be humbled in the eyes of others even when we think it's not just, knowing that they don't know the worst about us. In time we will find ourselves walking in and with Jesus by the Spirit, if we persist in this way.
Any thoughts on this?
Showing posts with label anger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anger. Show all posts
Friday, September 18, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
conflict
Conflict can mean nothing more than reaching a point with someone in which there is an impasse which can't be resolved. It may be over a little matter soon to be forgotten, like some food, or sports discussion.
Of course conflict can and often does mean something bad is going on. James addresses it here, and when we feel anger arising in us from which we want to act, we need to be aware of what James in God's word is telling us. And then seek before God to get to the root of the problem in ourselves, instead of simply acting on it.
Just one little angle on conflict.
Anyone have words to share with us on this?
Of course conflict can and often does mean something bad is going on. James addresses it here, and when we feel anger arising in us from which we want to act, we need to be aware of what James in God's word is telling us. And then seek before God to get to the root of the problem in ourselves, instead of simply acting on it.
Just one little angle on conflict.
Anyone have words to share with us on this?
Friday, November 14, 2008
anger
In reading about Lactantius on anger I was given (or perhaps reminded of) a small new slant on how to view anger. Anger is a gift from God to humans, to be used wisely. It brings certain problems into the open and anger motivates us to do something about those problems. I think surely there's some truth here, but would like to hear your response to it.
Of course God's anger expressed in his wrath and judgment of sin, is also expressed at the cross, where anger and mercy come together (as Gibson on Lactantius says), and the result is forgiveness available for all. This is important, and we need to see everything in the light of the cross, of course. How that plays out in our anger would be interesting to work through.
How do you view anger? Is it a good or bad, or does that depend? Is it really a gift from God? If it is, do humans handle it well- and how can Christians do better?
The chapter by Richard Gibson takes to task the NIV rendering of the Ephesians 4 passage on anger (more accurately, Gibson cites Daniel B. Wallace and his exegesis of Ephesians 4:26-27 with the command to be angry as well as the second command to not let the sun go down on the source of the anger, but instead, to deal with the problem causing the anger):
We need to be slow to anger (like God that way), but there is a time for it. We need to be careful not to be living in anger, in other words we can't live there for long.
When I've been angry, initially there may have been justification for that, of course it's a response to what I see as wrong, or sometimes less nobly, something I dislike at the time. But I've found that it can lead to bad attitudes and probably toward bitterness (root of bitterness comes to mind) if I don't deal with it right away. It's easy to dwell on the object of my anger, rather than deal with the matter in a constructive way in the grace and truth, or truth and love that are ours in Jesus.
Considering the above questions or just this subject, what would you like to add to this, from your own life or understanding on anger?
Of course God's anger expressed in his wrath and judgment of sin, is also expressed at the cross, where anger and mercy come together (as Gibson on Lactantius says), and the result is forgiveness available for all. This is important, and we need to see everything in the light of the cross, of course. How that plays out in our anger would be interesting to work through.
How do you view anger? Is it a good or bad, or does that depend? Is it really a gift from God? If it is, do humans handle it well- and how can Christians do better?
The chapter by Richard Gibson takes to task the NIV rendering of the Ephesians 4 passage on anger (more accurately, Gibson cites Daniel B. Wallace and his exegesis of Ephesians 4:26-27 with the command to be angry as well as the second command to not let the sun go down on the source of the anger, but instead, to deal with the problem causing the anger):
26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.Gibson notes that literally it's a command to be angry, and yet to not sin in that anger. The NIV rendering is of course an interpretation as to what Paul meant.
We need to be slow to anger (like God that way), but there is a time for it. We need to be careful not to be living in anger, in other words we can't live there for long.
When I've been angry, initially there may have been justification for that, of course it's a response to what I see as wrong, or sometimes less nobly, something I dislike at the time. But I've found that it can lead to bad attitudes and probably toward bitterness (root of bitterness comes to mind) if I don't deal with it right away. It's easy to dwell on the object of my anger, rather than deal with the matter in a constructive way in the grace and truth, or truth and love that are ours in Jesus.
Considering the above questions or just this subject, what would you like to add to this, from your own life or understanding on anger?
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