Wednesday's Word - Proper Ventilation
Question; Have you ever been so passionate about something that you had a hard time trying to articulate exactly what it was you felt deep inside? No?...just me then. Okay.
There’s a saying: “May you live in interesting times”. We watch the news as these times get more interesting everyday; record-breaking temperatures, drought and where the heck have the bumble bees gone? (Google it).
This alone can be disconcerting. Add the trials of everyday life (& traffic) and not even Calgon can to take you away.
Christians are vilified as hypocrites whenever we don’t have a happy go lucky, peaceful smile plastered on our faces.
Here’s the word
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Being angry, yet not sinning? Is that possible? Yes, Vent. The key is not going further into sin. This world presents a myriad of challenges and we long for the culmination of all things. But while we continue with our hands to the plow each day, we, like creation itself, groans (Romans 8:22) and keeping that steam built up inside will produce let’s just say ‘unexpected results’.
Don’t assume that holding back emotion equals strength. Not so. I’m not saying it’s easy, it may take some practice and forgiveness-seeking, but when circumstances arise, you can vent without compromising your spiritual elevation. Pray for and seek Proper Ventilation.
posted by Crosimoto @ 10:06 AM
2 Comments:
I too am tired of the "Mister Bluebird on My Shoulder" type attitude people are expecting in today's Christians. Jesus got so angry in St. Mark 11:17 that he threw the moneychangers out of the temple and overturned the tables. Reading this passage gives you the impression that this was not a peaceful interaction on the part of the Savior and those in the temple. He took off his meek and mild persona for a few minutes, and I just love Jesus and want to be more like Him. If that means getting angry at:
- birth control in Junior High Schools
- our young people being shot down and killed in the streets (including 24 year old young man in my Sunday School
- open season on young women - wives, mothers and professionals that are being killed or they come up missing never to be seen by their families again
- drugs everywhere having a devastating effect on all of our families in one way or another
- etc. etc. etc. You all read the papers and watch the news.
I am ANGRY with the devil and I don't try to hide it. We are supposed to open our mouths to stand up for right. If we don't - what is the whole point of being soldiers of the cross? If we don't warn the wicked, we will be judged. Ezekiel 3:18. I am in management in my office and also hold an elected office in my town, but I can't even go out to lunch or dinner with some of the other managers or political events because of their lack of belief in God, the content of their conversation and lack in their character. I find it hard to bite my tongue, and I need my job, so that is a brown bag and pray situation.
My soapbox is creaking, time to get down.
GET ANGRY (LIKE JESUS DID) BUT SIN NOT!
Just trying to find the word that was on the tip of my tongue and I
found this. The word is:
Righteous Indignation
We are supposed to feel righteous indignation when we see
something wrong. God meant us to. It is a sign of spiritual
health and a good conscience. If we are so tolerant and broad-minded that we can watch wrong and feel nothing there is something seriously wrong with us. God himself feels angry when he sees wrong and evil. It was in righteous indignation that he burned Sodom and Gomorrah to the ground. And it was in righteous indignation that Jesus threw the moneychangers out of
the temple. If we were to see some bully brutally and
sadistically clubbing some child to death it would be natural and right for us to be angry. In the same way if we can sit and watch immorality romanticized and glamorized on television without feelings of anger and righteous indignation it is a sign of spiritual sickness. If we can sit and listen to philosophies, viewpoints and attitudes expounded on the Merv Griffin show that are in deep conflict with the teachings of the Bible and Christianity and not feel anger there is something wrong. God expects us to get angry over wrong. Not only for our own sake but for that of others. If a father catches his child stealing and doesn't get angry about it he does the child wrong. The child needs to see his father react in righteous indignation. Only then can he respect and believe in his father. The child intuitively knows he did wrong and anger on the part of the father is the only proper reaction. Not to get angry is to condone. Not to get angry shows a perverted mind and heart. The same would be true if the father were to catch his boy lying, or using profane or indecent language, or looking at indecent pictures.
Good stuff!!
mscros29, I also found it hard to be around folks who are less than ideal company. But we are given counsel on how to relate to the world. We are salt and we should take every opportunity to add some Christian flavor to the "Lost Ones". Paul in 1 Cor 5:9-13 reveals a more lenient attitude towards those who are of the world as oppose to those who claim to be like believers. Using Christ example; his biggest criticism, which by the way put his followers and his nemesis on common ground, was his hanging around the riff raff of that time.
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