TGIF
I’m not angry.
I get angry occasionally, but I don’t stay that way.
Anger assaults and drains the graces that keep me functioning…it focuses on my frustration and fear instead of my faith.
I don’t like being around angry people and I’ve been told that I’m less than a picnic myself when I’m mad.
Thus, I’ve been staying off Facebook as much as possible.
A lot of my friends are angry every day and if they’re not angry yet, they’re waiting for someone to post something they can respond to in anger.
They find things elsewhere on the internet that make them angry and they post them so you can be angry too.
They’re angry at Obama, angry with Congress, angry with refugees, angry with Christians, angry with those who are angry with Christians, angry with the media, and generally angry with those who aren’t angry with the people they’re angry with.
Some will be angry that I wrote about being angry because I should be angry along with them.
Many of them believe Jesus is angry at the things they are angry about and He’s so angry that He’s coming back soon and better find you angry too.
Every day.
All day long.
Anger is the new badge of honor that must be constantly on display, one of the marks of a true believer.
I remember when those marks were faith…hope…and love.
When those completely fail me, I guess I’ll get really angry.
Make your own application…
Awesome 🙂
Thank you, Jim!
Michael, love it! Love you too my friend!
Likewise ,G…thank you, my friend!
Great thoughts to chew on (and apply) going into the weekend. Thanks Michael!
Thank you, Jean. 🙂
Gosh, amen and amen. So true. I am so done with the ranting christians who are consumed with the smallness of America, the President, the LBGTs, you name it.
Hello, God is VAST and still in control.
Where is our faith? Where is the love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness and SELF CONTROL? The planet and our US culture do seem to be in a pretty dark mess. Our Hope has always been in the Lord and His Kingdom and His Righteousness.
I am feeling more or less officially unchurched and ok with it for now.. My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness.
Good word. We need to acknowledge the difference between hurt and disappointment versus anger. There are aot of hurting and wounded folks that are still seeking to please God.
angry – it’s a funny sounding word, the definition isn’t, tho, is it?
God has the capacity for anger – I suspect that is one reason that we are told to pray for those who curse us Believers
angerrr doesn’t sound as funny as angreee – no point “just sayin”
Paige,
You finished the article for me…amen.
Nonnie,
True…and there are places where anger is justifiable as well.
It’s the constant state of anger in many that concerns me.
Em…the place is better when you’re here.
Thank you.
You hit the nail on the head
Thank you, Solomon. 🙂
did anyone see/hear the 15 year old Palestinian boy whose family had been hit by an Israeli missile? he is focused now on growing up to become a suicide bomber – the human race doesn’t do anger well…
Please. I am not trying to begin a discussion here of who is right and who is wrong in that conflict…
Michael, thank you – you are gracious to the old people who post what must seem to be irrelevant and rambling comments…
Em @ #15…at some point we need to understand that all these expressions of anger elicit anger in return…sometimes with catastrophic consequences.
Em,
I’ve never found you to be either irrelevant or rambling…our readers love you too.
Be angry and sin not. I figured that was a given.
When I see that bumper sticker that says “Jesus is coming and boy, is He pissed”, I just want to barf.
I/We seriously need to read the Bible in context and keep a solid view of our own frailty and sinful nature. The only boast we have to claim is in His Righteousness.
Reuben,
It’s easier said than done…we have a tendency to get stuck in our anger.
At least I do…
“at some point we need to understand that all these expressions of anger elicit anger in return…sometimes with catastrophic consequences.”
That’s the million dollar answer to the question: How is biblical Christianity counter-cultural?
That’s what Jesus came the first time to show and teach us. That’s the most difficult thing to discuss among Christians today.
Jean,
Amen and amen…
Jean, IMO, we are definitely seeing that return anger and IMO, it’s is deserved. The challenge now is to “bless them that curse’ us in genuine humility.
A great reminder Michael, to dwell on the fruits of the spirit and not on the things of this world. It’s all too easy to get stuck in that angry state. Thanks everyone else for your input too!
As a Christian I believe I can be extremely disappointed and even struggle with anger over the way another has treated me, and yet at the same time, still want God’s best for that person. I’m convinced that God’s best will sort things through…ie reconciliation and changing hearts (mine included).
Thank you, AA. 🙂
Nonnie,
I take God at His word that He’s for me…and He’s working it all out.
The biggest changes he can make through me, are in me.
I used to be a person who kept score; never forgot a slight; took personally insults, disrespect and being ignored; etc. I don’t know about y’all, but it’s darn hard to pray when you’re angry, in fact it’s practically impossible for me. I discovered that the anger I held hurt me much more than the person who I was angry at. It was like surrendering my autonomy to the person who hurt me. Crazy! Worst of all, anger separated me from my relationship with God and the love he wants me to internalize.
Although I have to be vigilant for the seeds of anger, God has blessed me by transforming the way I internalize what others do or say to me. I have learned and am continuing to learn the blessing that comes from forgiveness, and the relationship between “forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Amen, Jean and Michael.
http://31.media.tumblr.com/4a91beca00629b0b1aeccb6cbb51a615/tumblr_n9mv16MVSD1qz6f9yo1_1280.jpg
Very good original post. I have not read the comments lest I get angry.
I think that the worst part about the being angry all the time is when angry people are waiting to pounce on someone when they say something the angry one disagrees with or when they actually set people up so they can pounce on them. I’ve been pounced on a lot and I’ve been set up a few times and it’s made me very, very gun shy with Christians online because I often don’t know what to expect. There are a lot of angry Christians online and I try to stay away from them.
I am angry, in fact I am blankety blank mad at what the devil is doing in these days in which we live, but then I know that God – in a way that must make the devil insane – is weaving the tapestry of time to a good and necessary end… I pray that we continue to grow in Faith and number even in these threatening times
it’s been a good day following the posts here and trying to learn and discern…found that the Bible was translated into Flemish before Luther was even born… I’ve lived long enough to realize that historians don’t always know as much as they think they do, but I know even less – only superficial data points
hope to get back here before my time on earth is done – it’s been a good day thanks to the Phoenix Preacher family
I gave up Facebook for several reasons, but one reason was that I was tired of being such an opinionated blowhard.
When I was deep in church culture it was not anger as much as it was utter total absolute terror. Terror I would fail God and be cast into hell, Terror I was really not “saved” because my belief did not line up with every single doctrine in our house of cards. Terror of loosing friends and being kicked out of church. Terror of the end coming, being left behind and eventually taking the mark. Terror of the coming plagues, wars, wrath of the Lamb. Utter constant all encompassing terror. I just got so tired.
Michael
Good post today….right on the nail head.I’ve been given a challenge…how do I defriend 5 angry FB friends without them becoming angry at me.
Dude,
I haven’t defriended anyone…but I’ve sure lost a bunch from being defriended.
Dude…
Just in follow them. Then you don’t have to see their nonsense unless you want to
London
Good advice……Just fed up with all the right wing propaganda machine.The left is just as bad.
Bush haters=Obama haters…gag
I am angry that I do not have face book…LOL!
Michael, excellent article. Although I come close to getting back in the ring on occasion, I’ve given up arguing with people on FB. The results, me being angry, confirming some people’s notion that christians are a bunch of Bible-wielding haters, and wasting time that I could be studying, spending time with family, or making disciples…well, just wasn’t worth it.