| Hurting and healing “And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:1-3) | ||
| When people are angry with each other, and someone is the recipient of someone else's anger, it sometimes helps to wake up, admit mistakes, rethink our attitude or perceive the comfort zone we are in and our thoughtlessness. However, in most cases, we become disgruntled and aggressive, feel patronized and can hardly bear to be humiliated in such manner. Usually we reciprocate in like manner. And let's be honest: Who likes to be criticized or shouted at? Not me! With a little emotional distance we are able to see more clearly and accurately, but we can't always rely on it. Above all, when we are wrongly criticized, or someone is just superficial, clueless and insensible, and takes it upon themselves to say something on the grounds of hearsay – difficult to bear when you are at the receiving end. As Christians we are God's children – which has, besides many other things, the advantage that we think twice how we react to things and events and words in our daily encounters. Some of what we read and hear sometimes catches us on “the wrong foot”. We read in Job 5:17-18: “Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For He maketh sore, and bindeth up: He woundeth, and His hands make whole.” When we wound others, do we mostly only have an inadequate idea of how to treat these people in future? Job discovered this when he said about his friends: “I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.” Sometimes it is better to say nothing, than to offer empty words. It is not necessary to give your two cents worth to everyone and at every occasion. Perhaps we are blocking someone whom God has chosen to talk. What must happen for us to be able to say: “ O Lord, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me”? Only then, when we realize that we were indeed mistaken, wrongly interpreted and spoke, was disobedient and acted against our better judgement. Possibly other Christians addressed our consciences and this is also not wrong. God does not err and He can make use of circumstances, people, His Word and many other things to speak to us. HE certainly does it – through the Holy Spirit. Therefore we should examine and question ourselves, as well as listen and ponder on a clear word from other believers and pray about it. It is quite possible that God sometimes places people, who at first don't appeal to us at all, right in front of our noses – is this coincidence? Many clear words, many situations and diverse problems are actually there to protect us from greater loss. We read in Ephesians 5:10-11 “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” We can indeed be grateful in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and also prove all things (Verse 21). So, when we are met with anger – how do we react? Paul tells us how we can react: “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-15). [mehr] Jörg Bauer | ||
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This post first appeared on Christian Devotions In The Daily-Message - English, please read the originial post: here
