Anger On A Short Leash

Somehow, people think when you become a child of God you respond with a smile when someone "accidentally" cuts you off while driving. Laugh out loud. If you're anything like me behind the wheel, happiness is the furthest reaction away from my initial feeling. I'd love to get to the point to where I can crack a smile after being stuck behind someone's 93-year-old grandma for ten miles going 30 in a 45 mile per hour zone (where us heathens want to go at least 55.) Here is where we sink or swim. Looking someone in the eye while we show them only the longest finger on our hand is not the way to go. Rolling down your window to shout out expletives is also the wrong choice. Either or both of these scenarios happen at least once a day. These are just a couple examples of anger that could trigger a sinful reaction. When a husband finds out his wife charged the card on an expensive purchase he does not have the grounds to hit her. If someone wrongs you in any way it does not justify retaliation. Far too often we like to take God's job and give someone what we feel they deserve. All vengeance belongs to Him (Romans 12:19.) 

It is also more than just a physical act. Anger can be mental as well. The "snowball effect" is probably a familiar term used in describing the process of a growing temper and rage is usually the outcome. Satan loves to remind us of past offences. Sometimes things that are months, or maybe even years old. Sometimes things that you've even overcome and forgiven. Without giving the devil too much credit, understand that the carnal brain sometimes loves to satiate itself to those things. Why? Because it feels good to justify yourself. 

It's kind of hard, better yet, impossible to think this way with a mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Think spiritually and your actions will follow. (Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:8)

Society, especially when dealing with children, frowns on the entire emotion of anger. Because it is an emotion, it is a natural human response. This isn't just a humanistic theory. God, the Creator of the universe and everything good and just, inspired Paul to write the scripture: 

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 5:26-27 

The social consensus is "an eye for an eye" and "two wrongs make a right." That is social justice. Spiritual justice is turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39.) Spiritual justice is forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22.) 

At an early age children need to be taught that indulging in anger is not of God. Instead of hitting a person, hitting a pillow or punching bag could be the trade off. As we learn to practice self-control and patience and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit, we become less prone to allow Satan to trap us in that web. God allows and His children to be angry and He understands it. We were created with a variety of emotions. We were not made to sin. On the contrary, we were made to bring glory to our Creator. I wonder how often He gets angry at His knuckle-headed kids. No, we're not perfect. Yes, we fall short. We whine, we complain, we worry and worst of all, we break His commandments. If we all got what we truly deserved we would be in hell! Be thankful we have a Just, yet Forgiving and Merciful God. 

Breaking the Shackles of Sin

Romans 6:5-23

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

The world is full of tricks and traps to entice us with things that are appealing but are contrary to the spirit. It's definitely much worse in our 2k generation. It's so important to monitor what we allow in our homes. Some call it sheltering but I call it protecting. Remember that song we all used to sing in Sunday School? "Oh be careful little eyes what you see... for the Father up above is looking down with love." We decide what we watch, what we listen to, what we wear, what we say. We have a choice. It may sound juvenile but if we would all just ask ourselves if (fill in the blank) will make God happy or unhappy, we'd save ourselves a ton of regret.

Honestly, you almost have to become a monk just to avoid the sin epidemic that is attacking our senses on a daily basis. Men have an especially hard time ignoring temptation. Turning on the TV is a risk in itself. Apparently, sex sells so commercials especially take full advantage of that by incorporating bikini swimsuits and lingerie in between sports games and television shows. Who watches sports? Men. Nine times out of ten the women who watch are doings so next to their husband or boyfriend. So is it coincidental? God forbid. Since Satan is the prince of the power of the air, (Ephesians 2:2) he is the one behind it all. Sometimes I feel like taking a sledge hammer to that one-eyed monster. Even the PG-13 movies are inappropriate adults, not to mention, a child. We've come a long way from the wholesome 60's. There is no modesty in clothing or just pure feminine etiquette. I almost wish their entire gender would adapt the Islamic dress code to keep their skin covered. Whether a woman in a short skin-tight dress is walking down the street or on the TV screen, I don't want to see it. It doesn't take much for our brain to remember an image. Because I'm a Christian man, I'm aware that committing adultery by God's standard is more than a physical act (Matthew 5:28.) Besides the fact it would be disrespectful to my wife to look lustfully at another woman, its a sin against God. It seems everywhere we turn there is temptation but I've found that if and when I keep my mind stayed on Jesus, there's an eclipse of desire. All that formed habits consist of is repetition of the same act. If we consistently place God before (fill in the blank) then He becomes the nucleus of our decision making. Our flesh has to be tamed and trained. There are certain male traits that are stereotypical and happen to be accurate but there should be a difference between a man and a man of God. It all depends whether we function carnally or spiritually. The two cannot co-exist with the expectation of living a life God can smile at. There should be a drastic decline of sin our life that is always heading toward the direction of holiness. By dying daily to our flesh we become closer to the likeness of Christ.   

Sin, Rest In Pieces

Well, I was born twice. First from my mother's womb and again from the Spirit of God. The latter is the only one that really matters. I don't have that specific day to distinguish as most do but I do know I was 7 years old when I fully understood salvation and my need for a Saviour. I wanted to be baptized and Jesus was my inspiration behind it. There's not a single doubt in my mind that in that moment the God made His residence in my heart. Although since, there have been periods of backsliding, living out the parable of the prodigal son and succumbing to my own sinful desires. I remember being in my rebellion stage which lasted about a couple years during college. I was involved with things and with people I knew I shouldn't have been involved with. I always had a presence of holiness and biblical understanding that weighed against my worldly actions but I ignored them. I can remember being in those situations and knowing I didn't belong there. It was uncomfortable. Had I not been born into the family of God, every sin and every worldly action would have been comfortable. Thanks be to God for never losing grip of His estranged child. When sin becomes comfortable there's a huge problem and it needs to be dealt with immediately. There's a natural desire in all of us to indulge in the things that look good, feel good and taste good. Those are the things that are of the world and go against our Heavenly Father. Those are the things we are to die to. As we die to sin we become alive in God (Romans 6:11.) Jesus died carrying the weight of all human sin past, present and future. He did so not to give us a loophole to sin. There won't be an asterisk by our name in the Lamb's Book of Life with a footnote saying 'Well, they meant to.' As always, there is a penalty for sin and it's death (Romans 6:23.) We can't just say we're sorry and repeat the same offense. Christians, lets annihilate sin. Let's bomb it like its Hiroshima!