Anger

My day today was just overwhelmed with the frustration of dealing with real people, with real issues, in the real world. I am surprised at how I let myself get so angry with certain situations in life. It has happened more recently than ever before...I wonder why that is.

As just about everyone I know will vouch that I am in no way violent in my anger (anyone not on that list will be surprised that I get angry). I am more likely to burst into tears than to respond with physical force.

What I find interesting though, is that my anger, the passionate fury that is new to me, is a response to people who really hit me where it hurts, so to speak. The two people that have stirred this much anger in me in the last couple years are people that hurt my church family and, worst of all, brought pain to my wife and kids.

In searching for a real world response to following Christ, I find myself longing for a practical example of how to live this out. The testosterone driven response has never been my style. I have been the doormat, but have learned to be more confident than that.

In Jesus we have both the lesson to turn the other cheek AND the clearing of the temple.

Both are responses to wrongdoing, so I'm convinced that passiveness is not the right course of action (or inaction if you will).

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ~ James 1:5


God, give me wisdom.