Tag Archives: anger

I’m Pretty Sure That Wasn’t There Before!

Reading through James today, I hit one of my favorite/least favorite passages; James 1:19,20.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  I love/hate these verses.  They have been transformative in my life, and continue to be something I struggle with everyday.  I’ve shared them with other people, and seen God use them to change my friends for years.  They are so very, very powerful.  If we just consider the order, (listen first, don’t speak, then control your anger), it can save us from a ton of arguments and apologies.

Today, though, I noticed that verse 21 was tied to these verses with a “Therefore…”   This means that verses 19 and 20 are true, and because of that, do what verse 21 says so that we can see verses 19 and 20 come true in our lives.  What does verse 21 talk about?

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

Hmmm…. So, I know that everyone SHOULD BE quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  I want to be like that.  It’s tough.  Since I know I should be that way, and I want to be that way, I need to take action.  What is the first action?  Make myself quick to listen?  Not according to James.  The first part is to examine my life for “moral filth” and get rid of it.  In doing that, we are trusting Jesus and becoming more like Him.  As we become more like Him, He will help us in our desire to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  I still believe that those three things are on us to pursue.  But if it isn’t working for us, then we need to ask, what “moral filth” are we letting sit in our hearts and lives?  What “prevalent evil” are we harboring, excusing, turning a blind eye towards?

Wow.  I hadn’t put those two together before.  What movies I watch, what songs I listen to, what people I hang around with, what jokes I tell, what language I use, what thoughts I allow to freely run through my mind, what sites I visit, what I forward on Facebook, what I retweet on Twitter, and what I send to all my friends by text influence whether or not I’ll be able to see verses 19 and 20 become real in my life.  Purity matters.  It really does.

I think so often we want to separate discipleship from purity.  We believe we can do the right things, while allowing stuff to remain in our hearts and lives that is not like Jesus at all.  But James says we can’t.  It’s all linked together.

Now I REALLY love/hate these verses!  There is so much to consider, to evaluate, to throw away in my life.  That’s why I’m so grateful for the last part of verse 21, “humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”  Jesus is that Word.  He is the one who sets me free.

What are the things that would fall under “moral filth” that you are harboring?  How is it affecting your ability to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry today?  It’s worth working on, that’s for sure.

As always, I’d love to know your thoughts and feedback.

Missing Your Wife’s Wedding Because You’re Dead

Nabal hated everything.  Nothing was good enough.  He wanted more money, stuff, power, and friends.  He was selfish, bitter, and very angry.  He was also an extremely good businessman, who was amazing at what he did, and everyone loved him to his face.

Then he died.

I wonder if he was so bitter because his mom named him Nabal?

Nabal was a guy in a small story in 1 Samuel 25.  He plays opposite of David, and is really just a footnote in the whole story.  He definitely isn’t the main character, David is.  Nabal’s wife Abigail plays a much larger part that Nabal himself does.  But he is fascinating just the same.  The Bible describes him as very, very rich.  He is the wealthiest guy in the whole area.  His wife is beautiful and smart.  He owns lots of land, and tons of stuff.  He’s got it all.

Only, his name means “fool”, and he lives up to his name.  David sends some men to ask him for help.  David and his crew of soldiers have been unofficially guarding Nabal’s shepherds and sheep for him for a while, and David asks for some help in the way of food.  Nabal has it, and could have been an amazing part of God’s story in David’s life.  Unfortunately, Nabal has lived a life where he can’t see past himself and his own wants, and he tells David to get lost.

So, David decides to kill him and all of his men.  He’s on his way to do it, when Nabal’s wife Abigail comes out to meet him with the food David asked for.  She averts her husband’s destruction, and goes back home.  Nabal is having a huge party, and is drunk.  The next day, when she tells him what she did, he gets so mad that he “becomes likes stone”.  He is so mad, he has a stroke.  Nabal dies a few days later.

Abigail marries David.

Nabal lies in the dirt, cold.

Wow.  That’s a tough story.  How often do we make the small decisions Nabal made, to be selfish, to worry about ourselves, our own stuff, what we want, and ignore what God is doing in front of us?  How many times has your or my selfishness caused us to miss an opportunity to be a part of God’s bigger story?  Nabal could have been a hero to David.  Instead, he died.

What decisions will you or I make today to step into God’s plans and let go of what we want instead?  It’s definitely better than the alternative.

Sticks and Stones and Words.

In Numbers 20, Moses is faced with another challenge.  The people are out of water, and once again, they complain against Moses and God.  “Why didn’t you let us die before?” they whine. 

God tells Moses to take the staff that had been set aside as holy in the temple in yesterday’s reading, and take it out to the rocks on the mountain side.  He is supposed call for water to come out of the rocks, and it would come out.  It was going to be a sign once again to the people that God can take care of them anytime He needs to.

Moses gets mad, though.  I don’t blame him after all he’s been through with them.  In his anger, he takes the staff and hits the rock.   God still makes water come out of it, He still provides for His people.  But He tells Moses and Aaron that they won’t be allowed into the promised land because of this.  What?!  Man, that’s a stiff penalty after all this time of obedience.

But, let’s look at a few things.  One, for them to die peacefully wasn’t a curse.  They were set free from the roles they played here, and got to go home with Him.  And they didn’t die painfully or over a long time.  God just takes them home.  (Aaron now, Moses later).  Two, the staff had been set aside as holy.  It was a beautiful sign of life and provision.  This is the staff that God made bloom.  It was a miracle.  Moses used it for his own purposes, in anger.  He should have suffered much worse than he did.  Third, by striking the rock, Moses shows a lack of faith.  You can’t just speak to a rock and have it pour out water.  So he hit the rock.  He compromised with God.  This miracle is a little bit me, a little bit You.  But it doesn’t work that way.  It’s all Him.

What are we trying to compromise with God on today?  What is He wanting to do, but we aren’t trusting Him on it?  Where are we saying “It’s a little bit me, and a little bit You?”  He may still bless those around us, but it will cost us something. 

Whatever God is telling you to do, do it.  Speak it, don’t strike out at it.

Getting Jacked by Jesus is No Fun


I admit it. I don’t get Matthew 17:14-21. I thought about skipping it, but that’s not honest. I look at this story, and am confused. A kid has seizures, and his dad begs the disciples for help. They can’t heal him. The dad comes to Jesus and tells Him, and it seems like He goes postal on them. He calls them an unbelieving and perverse generation, and asks how long He has to put up with them.

I simply can not imagine standing there and taking that from Jesus. It had to be heart breaking. He rails on them for their lack of faith. He heals the kid, and doesn’t get on the kid about a lack of faith, or the father about a lack of faith. He just heals the kid. But He is all over the disciples.

In other places He shows frustration with them, but not to this level. Maybe it’s because it just followed the Transfiguration. Maybe that’s why He is so upset. I don’t honestly know.

Lord, do you get that mad with me? Do I frustrate you to this level? Clearly it’s not sin to be frustrated at them. They were wrong. Somehow their lack of faith was sin on their part. That is what angers God: sin. Please help me to live in such a way you don’t have to look at me with disgust. Please help me, Lord. Please.