Until about 8 or 10 years ago I viewed Solomon's Ecclesiastes as the sad rant of a wise but angry old man whose broad experience made him cynical and pretty hopeless. There is certainly enough content throughout the book that lends itself to such a conclusion, however after nearly a year of rather intense study of the book, I came to see much more than I had ever understood before. Over the next few months I want to share some of what I have come to see from the Preacher that really is an extension of Solomon's 3000+ proverbs, but maybe written for a wider audience.
Our English title, Ecclesiastes, is actually borrowed from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures commissioned by Alexander the Great and completed about 250 b.c. The original Hebrew title is "Koheleth" meaning the Preacher or "one who addresses an assembly".
Solomon possibly died in his late 60's or early 70's after reigning over Israel 40 years in Jerusalem. He was very young when his father, David, named him the successor to the throne, so he was still quite inexperienced and lacking in judgment. For this reason, God gave him the opportunity to ask for anything he thought would help him to be a good and successful ruler. Solomon simply asked for wisdom and he was given that and much, much more.
As Solomon matured and his fame began to spread during the middle part of his reign, many foreign kings and rulers came to seek out the source of his wisdom, including the Queen of Sheba, a country in present day Yemen. She wanted to find out if this guy could live up to his reputation. During her long visit she asked Solomon many hard questions and his wisdom far exceeded the Queen's skepticism.
I have come to the personal belief that Solomon may have written Ecclesiastes as a sort of tract to explain to the Gentiles who his God is and how God is the source of all wisdom among men. Many centuries before, Moses had urged Solomon's ancestors to pay close attention to the words of God so that the Gentile nations they were about to encounter would see how they were blessed by God because of their faithful obedience to him (Deuteronomy 4:6-8). So, Solomon finally realized that there were many nations besides his own who needed to know about his God. Admittedly this subjective conclusion cannot be proven by any source of which I am aware, however it would explain much of the book's style.
As we walk our way through it, I expect to present Solomon's faith in a more mature way than my earlier assumptions. So, this is my sincere apology to Solomon and to the Holy Spirit for not seeing the real content and intent of the Preacher. I urge my readers to stay with me here - this will definitely NOT be boring.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
"Honey, Wisdom & Hope"
These words of Solomon have held my attention for several days -
"EAT HONEY, MY SON, FOR IT IS GOOD; HONEY FROM THE COMB IS SWEET TO YOUR TASTE. KNOW ALSO THAT WISDOM IS SWEET TO YOUR SOUL; IF YOU FIND IT, THERE IS FUTURE HOPE FOR YOU, AND YOUR HOPE WILL NOT BE CUT OFF." Proverbs 24:13-14 NIV
I eat a little honey almost every day because I like it and because of its health benefits. However, making the connection with wisdom required more time to process than the immediate effect of honey on the tongue.
Wisdom is a blessing of experience. Today, nearing 70 years, I am much wiser than at any other time in my life because of two critical factors: (1) I learned from what Solomon often refers to as "folly", that repeating what doesn't work out very well is just plain old DUMB!; (2) I learned that only God, my real Father, possesses what I need to know to succeed as a man, a husband, a father etc. Wisdom is God's gift to me because I turned my heart, like Solomon did, and pursued the knowledge of God that ultimately becomes wisdom. But, it takes time and patience for it to become a consistently "sweet" experience like eating honey every day. NOW I GET IT!
God imparts wisdom to all of us through his Holy Spirit, mostly by the revelation of his word, but also by helping us correct our thinking and actions. He gives us the gift of his Spirit when we repent and are baptized into the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38) and it is that GIFT within us that guides us into wise living. We slowly acquire an inner "voice" that I call the "SPIRITUAL CONSCIENCE", which gives us the daily guidance, along with our study of God's words, that becomes wisdom.
Paul stated it this way - "Those who are controlled by the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6 NIV
So, now, every morning when I spread my peanut butter and honey on whole wheat toast I think of Solomon's words and how God's wisdom has given me a sure expectation of future good (hope) and that is sweet to my soul! Try it for yourself and start each day with a great big HALLELUJAH! HOPE'S GOOD!
"EAT HONEY, MY SON, FOR IT IS GOOD; HONEY FROM THE COMB IS SWEET TO YOUR TASTE. KNOW ALSO THAT WISDOM IS SWEET TO YOUR SOUL; IF YOU FIND IT, THERE IS FUTURE HOPE FOR YOU, AND YOUR HOPE WILL NOT BE CUT OFF." Proverbs 24:13-14 NIV
I eat a little honey almost every day because I like it and because of its health benefits. However, making the connection with wisdom required more time to process than the immediate effect of honey on the tongue.
Wisdom is a blessing of experience. Today, nearing 70 years, I am much wiser than at any other time in my life because of two critical factors: (1) I learned from what Solomon often refers to as "folly", that repeating what doesn't work out very well is just plain old DUMB!; (2) I learned that only God, my real Father, possesses what I need to know to succeed as a man, a husband, a father etc. Wisdom is God's gift to me because I turned my heart, like Solomon did, and pursued the knowledge of God that ultimately becomes wisdom. But, it takes time and patience for it to become a consistently "sweet" experience like eating honey every day. NOW I GET IT!
God imparts wisdom to all of us through his Holy Spirit, mostly by the revelation of his word, but also by helping us correct our thinking and actions. He gives us the gift of his Spirit when we repent and are baptized into the name of Jesus (Acts 2:38) and it is that GIFT within us that guides us into wise living. We slowly acquire an inner "voice" that I call the "SPIRITUAL CONSCIENCE", which gives us the daily guidance, along with our study of God's words, that becomes wisdom.
Paul stated it this way - "Those who are controlled by the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace." Romans 8:5-6 NIV
So, now, every morning when I spread my peanut butter and honey on whole wheat toast I think of Solomon's words and how God's wisdom has given me a sure expectation of future good (hope) and that is sweet to my soul! Try it for yourself and start each day with a great big HALLELUJAH! HOPE'S GOOD!
Friday, April 29, 2011
"Something Worth Sharing"
This quarter Charley Bazzell and I have begun team teaching a series of Wednesday night studies from 2 Corinthians. I am very grateful to Jerry Jones for introducing me to this study many years ago at Harding University. Until then I had not really paid much attention to it but that week of intensive studies really got my attention and have blessed me over and over and over again. Over the years since, 2 Corinthians has become one of those reads I return to consistently with a new sense of anticipation every time I go through it again.
Charley and I are teaming up to share much of the meat of Paul's letter with some folks who have characteristically pretty much overlooked it too. In fact I have found very few Christians who have ever actually read all of the book. Strange isn't it that we have invested so much time and effort into 1 Corinthians and largely ignored Paul's follow-up letter written only a few months later! Paul seemingly wrote it primarily to defend his apostleship against some caustic Jewish critics in the Corinthian church. But, he also includes MUCH that blesses all disciples of Jesus.
Paul's use of numerous metaphors in this letter is exactly the teaching methodology of Jesus who most often crafted his message around parables and metaphors. They are a dynamic way of making a spiritual truth more easily seen when laid out beside the everyday and cultural realities that were familiar to his audience.
Here is one such example that excites me every time I read it and study it again:
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV
Last week as I was preparing my part in presenting this material to the class I kept thinking and praying about how to communicate the power of it in a way that would cause us to really GET IT! Finally, after hours of prayer and searching through the teaching of Jesus, I found it and it's just to good not to share with my readers.
"Here's another way to put it; You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, their generous Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16 MSG
WOW! That's it folks. God wants you and me to get out of our comfortable, safe, routine lifestyle and be light in the Satanic darkness that surrounds us. He wants us to shine the knowledge of his Son from every true follower of Jesus into every dark corner of your town and the entire world. He wants us to carry the sweet fragrance of his unique Son to our neighborhood, our workplace, our school, our family, everywhere we go. So get out there and "SHINE" - now, today!
Charley and I are teaming up to share much of the meat of Paul's letter with some folks who have characteristically pretty much overlooked it too. In fact I have found very few Christians who have ever actually read all of the book. Strange isn't it that we have invested so much time and effort into 1 Corinthians and largely ignored Paul's follow-up letter written only a few months later! Paul seemingly wrote it primarily to defend his apostleship against some caustic Jewish critics in the Corinthian church. But, he also includes MUCH that blesses all disciples of Jesus.
Paul's use of numerous metaphors in this letter is exactly the teaching methodology of Jesus who most often crafted his message around parables and metaphors. They are a dynamic way of making a spiritual truth more easily seen when laid out beside the everyday and cultural realities that were familiar to his audience.
Here is one such example that excites me every time I read it and study it again:
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 NIV
Last week as I was preparing my part in presenting this material to the class I kept thinking and praying about how to communicate the power of it in a way that would cause us to really GET IT! Finally, after hours of prayer and searching through the teaching of Jesus, I found it and it's just to good not to share with my readers.
"Here's another way to put it; You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, their generous Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16 MSG
WOW! That's it folks. God wants you and me to get out of our comfortable, safe, routine lifestyle and be light in the Satanic darkness that surrounds us. He wants us to shine the knowledge of his Son from every true follower of Jesus into every dark corner of your town and the entire world. He wants us to carry the sweet fragrance of his unique Son to our neighborhood, our workplace, our school, our family, everywhere we go. So get out there and "SHINE" - now, today!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"
None of us likes to be reprimanded because any form of criticism, at the very least, implies the need for correction. Just the sound of that word, correction, smacks of all kinds of things we tend to resist. Even as children we seem to have an innate resistance to anyone, parents and siblings too, who always seem to overlook our good but never miss an opportunity to emphasize our flaws.
Solomon wrote - "The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat - refreshing." Proverbs 25:11-13 MSG
"Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear." NIV
Communication is much more than one person talking and one listening. The Latin origin of our English word meant "a meeting of the minds". What lies beneath and around that "meeting" can derail the whole process. Without going into all the boring, technical details, just know that communication (meeting of minds) requires a dual commitment that flows both ways. Both have to work at it for the benefit of the other.
Solomon's words seem to imply that a wise person, even when he/she feels intimidated by a rebuke, understand they only learn and grow by heeding the wise advice of a friend. To assume I never need correction is a juvenile self image that we must outgrow - if we are to have a successful life. To heed a reprimand from a friend is Solomon's equivalent to receiving a costly gift that we wear proudly.
Change is nearly always the result of some form of conflict. As unpleasant as it can often be, conflict isn't always a bad thing IF there is a meeting of the minds. So, always carefully weigh a rebuke honestly before reacting to it impulsively.
One thing that has helped me with this challenge is to pray during an uncomfortable exchange, asking the Holy Spirit to help me HEAR both the words and intent of the speaker and give me the right words to speak. He blesses and blesses again. HALLELUJAH!
Solomon wrote - "The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, and a wise friend's timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat - refreshing." Proverbs 25:11-13 MSG
"Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear." NIV
Communication is much more than one person talking and one listening. The Latin origin of our English word meant "a meeting of the minds". What lies beneath and around that "meeting" can derail the whole process. Without going into all the boring, technical details, just know that communication (meeting of minds) requires a dual commitment that flows both ways. Both have to work at it for the benefit of the other.
Solomon's words seem to imply that a wise person, even when he/she feels intimidated by a rebuke, understand they only learn and grow by heeding the wise advice of a friend. To assume I never need correction is a juvenile self image that we must outgrow - if we are to have a successful life. To heed a reprimand from a friend is Solomon's equivalent to receiving a costly gift that we wear proudly.
Change is nearly always the result of some form of conflict. As unpleasant as it can often be, conflict isn't always a bad thing IF there is a meeting of the minds. So, always carefully weigh a rebuke honestly before reacting to it impulsively.
One thing that has helped me with this challenge is to pray during an uncomfortable exchange, asking the Holy Spirit to help me HEAR both the words and intent of the speaker and give me the right words to speak. He blesses and blesses again. HALLELUJAH!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
The Day After Easter
So now the brightly colored eggs and chocolate bunnies have been eaten and the Easter ham leftovers stowed away in the fridge. In our part of the world many planned Easter activities had to be cancelled or moved indoors because of the weather. I guess for many that was a disappointment because their plans had to be altered or scrapped.
Looking ahead to tomorrow and beyond, what will Easter mean on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and next month and the month after that? Is it really about one Sunday in April every year when families get together to hide colored eggs and share time together and "go to church" to hear the annual Easter program?
Jesus arose from the grave for a truly GREAT reason that has nothing to do with eggs and ham and new clothes to wear and family gatherings. None of those things is bad, UNLESS, that is all we allow Easter to be, a hijacked pagan holiday that is celebrated and forgotten tomorrow.
What will I do tomorrow because Jesus arose from the grave? Will I really allow Jesus to live out through me what He had planned from the creation of the world? OR will Easter be a once-a-year event that, when its over, I put it all away until next April?
Satan hatched a plan to circumvent the plan of God by killing his Son in the most public and cruel way possible. He thought he had won but learned too late that God had already accomplished his plan. Attempting to thwart God's plan by killing his Son was like blowing on the cottony bloom of a dandelion. All Satan did was disperse the seeds of life that are carried on the wind throughout the world by the new Body of Jesus Christ - his faithful disciples.
The day after Jesus' resurrection he began the final 40 day training program to prepare his Apostles for the MISSION ordained by the Father from the creation of the world. What they put in motion on that Pentecost day in Jerusalem is still the only real vision and purpose for Jesus' body today, his church. We are the dandelion that Satan cannot contain all because of Jesus' resurrection. HALLELUJAH!
Looking ahead to tomorrow and beyond, what will Easter mean on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and next month and the month after that? Is it really about one Sunday in April every year when families get together to hide colored eggs and share time together and "go to church" to hear the annual Easter program?
Jesus arose from the grave for a truly GREAT reason that has nothing to do with eggs and ham and new clothes to wear and family gatherings. None of those things is bad, UNLESS, that is all we allow Easter to be, a hijacked pagan holiday that is celebrated and forgotten tomorrow.
What will I do tomorrow because Jesus arose from the grave? Will I really allow Jesus to live out through me what He had planned from the creation of the world? OR will Easter be a once-a-year event that, when its over, I put it all away until next April?
Satan hatched a plan to circumvent the plan of God by killing his Son in the most public and cruel way possible. He thought he had won but learned too late that God had already accomplished his plan. Attempting to thwart God's plan by killing his Son was like blowing on the cottony bloom of a dandelion. All Satan did was disperse the seeds of life that are carried on the wind throughout the world by the new Body of Jesus Christ - his faithful disciples.
The day after Jesus' resurrection he began the final 40 day training program to prepare his Apostles for the MISSION ordained by the Father from the creation of the world. What they put in motion on that Pentecost day in Jerusalem is still the only real vision and purpose for Jesus' body today, his church. We are the dandelion that Satan cannot contain all because of Jesus' resurrection. HALLELUJAH!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
"DOES GOD REALLY CRY?"
A few days ago I saw that one of the cable channels was showing "The Passion of the Christ" and since I haven't seen it since its theater debut I decided to watch it again. I well remember the mood and atmosphere in that packed Dallas, Tx theater on a Saturday afternoon when the Rose and I went with Mike and Annette to see it.
After the movie was over no one moved, at all, for what seemed like ten or so minutes. We all just sat there in stunned awe of what we had just experienced. So, when I turned to the cable channel to see it again I found it was at the part where a bloody and beaten Jesus is stumbling toward Golgotha dragging the cross. I was so emotionally stricken all over again that I just couldn't watch it. So, I changed the channel.
Yahweh couldn't watch it either. He had to turn away too because upon that bloodied face and back he had placed all our transgressions, our sins, our obstinate refusal to hear his voice and trust his word.
Today much of the world is celebrating that act of God the Father, specifically what happened next, Jesus' Resurrection. The Holy Spirit also celebrates that event in the revelation he has given us from God, the Holy Scriptures. One in twenty five New Testament verses speaks in one way or another about Jesus' death and resurrection. That's a lot for God the Father to say to us about his unique Son.
I am awed into submission by these words from a still unknown inspired author -
"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with LOUD cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." Hebrews 5:7-9 NIV
These words seem to me to imply that Jesus wept more often than John 11:35 at the tomb of Lazarus. He knew why he was here and what was going to happen. He probably knew it as a young boy. How does one live 20 or so years with that hanging over his head every day and night. He probably didn't know exactly when it would occur but his commitment to the will of his Father made the 'when' unimportant. But, those moments when he was alone, with his Father, he often wept, bitterly, loudly.
Why would God cry? He wept over the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39) when Jesus entered it for the last time and saw how little difference his teaching had made in the everyday life of its thousands who were totally unaware of their destiny. He wept at the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus when he saw how deeply that loss affected Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters. According to Mark 15:34, Jesus "cried out in a loud voice, My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" What a terrible feeling that must have been. I simply cannot fathom it - ANY OF IT!
Does God really cry? Most assuredly he does. He cries for the same thing today that he did in Jesus earthly ministry - the willful, self serving way that men IGNORE him and their ultimate destiny. In just the 27 books of the New Testament there are 264 billboards warning men about that eternal destiny - but we seem to drive by them without really seeing or caring because they are just part of the landscape that we overlook every day.
Do yourself and those you love a huge favor - "WAKE UP, O SLEEPER, RISE FROM THE DEAD AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU. Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Eph 5:14-17
God always knew there would be GOOD NEWS that would cancel the bad. So did Jesus! But God also knows the hearts of men & women, young and old, we listen to and follow the leading of Satan much more quickly and easily because Satan knows how to appeal to what WE want.
After the movie was over no one moved, at all, for what seemed like ten or so minutes. We all just sat there in stunned awe of what we had just experienced. So, when I turned to the cable channel to see it again I found it was at the part where a bloody and beaten Jesus is stumbling toward Golgotha dragging the cross. I was so emotionally stricken all over again that I just couldn't watch it. So, I changed the channel.
Yahweh couldn't watch it either. He had to turn away too because upon that bloodied face and back he had placed all our transgressions, our sins, our obstinate refusal to hear his voice and trust his word.
Today much of the world is celebrating that act of God the Father, specifically what happened next, Jesus' Resurrection. The Holy Spirit also celebrates that event in the revelation he has given us from God, the Holy Scriptures. One in twenty five New Testament verses speaks in one way or another about Jesus' death and resurrection. That's a lot for God the Father to say to us about his unique Son.
I am awed into submission by these words from a still unknown inspired author -
"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with LOUD cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him." Hebrews 5:7-9 NIV
These words seem to me to imply that Jesus wept more often than John 11:35 at the tomb of Lazarus. He knew why he was here and what was going to happen. He probably knew it as a young boy. How does one live 20 or so years with that hanging over his head every day and night. He probably didn't know exactly when it would occur but his commitment to the will of his Father made the 'when' unimportant. But, those moments when he was alone, with his Father, he often wept, bitterly, loudly.
Why would God cry? He wept over the city of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39) when Jesus entered it for the last time and saw how little difference his teaching had made in the everyday life of its thousands who were totally unaware of their destiny. He wept at the tomb of his dear friend Lazarus when he saw how deeply that loss affected Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters. According to Mark 15:34, Jesus "cried out in a loud voice, My God, My God why have you forsaken me?" What a terrible feeling that must have been. I simply cannot fathom it - ANY OF IT!
Does God really cry? Most assuredly he does. He cries for the same thing today that he did in Jesus earthly ministry - the willful, self serving way that men IGNORE him and their ultimate destiny. In just the 27 books of the New Testament there are 264 billboards warning men about that eternal destiny - but we seem to drive by them without really seeing or caring because they are just part of the landscape that we overlook every day.
Do yourself and those you love a huge favor - "WAKE UP, O SLEEPER, RISE FROM THE DEAD AND CHRIST WILL SHINE ON YOU. Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is." Eph 5:14-17
God always knew there would be GOOD NEWS that would cancel the bad. So did Jesus! But God also knows the hearts of men & women, young and old, we listen to and follow the leading of Satan much more quickly and easily because Satan knows how to appeal to what WE want.
Friday, April 22, 2011
"I Just Lost It!"
Can you recall your latest "anger episode"? Can you recall what triggered it? What did that anger prompt you to do and say? As you look back over it after the fact can you think of some other way you might have handled yourself with a better result?
Anger is a legitimate human emotion. When we feel attacked or mistreated in some offensive way, our spirit naturally reacts defensively. And, sometimes anger can be a lifesaver. But, if we allow that defensive response to become habitual it can easily develop into a destructive lifestyle.
Solomon wrote - "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
Hair-trigger temper is always a weakness of spirit that we tend to rationalize with such reasoning as "I GOT SO MAD I JUST LOST IT!", or "THAT'S JUST THE WAY I AM", or "SHE/HE KNOWS HOW TO PUSH MY BUTTONS" etc, etc, etc. You get the point. We've all been there and in the right circumstance can still go there.
Here is my favorite from Solomon's extensive commentary about anger - "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control." Proverbs 25:28 NIV
Uncontrolled anger leaves you defenseless because someone else is in control of what you think, say and do. Solomon's words have meant a lot to me because most of my adolescent and young adult life I was that "out of control" man he speaks of. I have never murdered or even physically assaulted anyone except my three kids who had to endure my temper fits when they pushed my buttons. Today I am often amazed that they love me and respect me as a man of true faith because I'm pretty sure some of my tirades bordered on child abuse. I admire all three of my kids because they are so much better at parenting than I was.
Anger isn't always a bad thing but when its out of control, even for a few seconds or minutes, it can destroy a relationship, an opportunity, even a human life. All of us can cultivate a better way to respond in those anger-inducing situations than with threats and violence. Self control is a learned skill that isn't complicated but it usually is a tedious process that requires someone close to you to hold you accountable for your outbursts.
I have also learned to really appreciate these words of the Holy Spirit because they have spoken often to my spirit - "Everyone (did he just say EVERYONE?!) should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." BUT he doesn't stop there - "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James 1:19-20,26 NIV
Solomon's insight is priceless and worth repeating - "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control." START WITH CONFESSION AND PRAYER and see what happens in your spirit and your relationships.
Anger is a legitimate human emotion. When we feel attacked or mistreated in some offensive way, our spirit naturally reacts defensively. And, sometimes anger can be a lifesaver. But, if we allow that defensive response to become habitual it can easily develop into a destructive lifestyle.
Solomon wrote - "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." Proverbs 16:32
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11
Hair-trigger temper is always a weakness of spirit that we tend to rationalize with such reasoning as "I GOT SO MAD I JUST LOST IT!", or "THAT'S JUST THE WAY I AM", or "SHE/HE KNOWS HOW TO PUSH MY BUTTONS" etc, etc, etc. You get the point. We've all been there and in the right circumstance can still go there.
Here is my favorite from Solomon's extensive commentary about anger - "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control." Proverbs 25:28 NIV
Uncontrolled anger leaves you defenseless because someone else is in control of what you think, say and do. Solomon's words have meant a lot to me because most of my adolescent and young adult life I was that "out of control" man he speaks of. I have never murdered or even physically assaulted anyone except my three kids who had to endure my temper fits when they pushed my buttons. Today I am often amazed that they love me and respect me as a man of true faith because I'm pretty sure some of my tirades bordered on child abuse. I admire all three of my kids because they are so much better at parenting than I was.
Anger isn't always a bad thing but when its out of control, even for a few seconds or minutes, it can destroy a relationship, an opportunity, even a human life. All of us can cultivate a better way to respond in those anger-inducing situations than with threats and violence. Self control is a learned skill that isn't complicated but it usually is a tedious process that requires someone close to you to hold you accountable for your outbursts.
I have also learned to really appreciate these words of the Holy Spirit because they have spoken often to my spirit - "Everyone (did he just say EVERYONE?!) should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." BUT he doesn't stop there - "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." James 1:19-20,26 NIV
Solomon's insight is priceless and worth repeating - "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control." START WITH CONFESSION AND PRAYER and see what happens in your spirit and your relationships.
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