I never thought I had any issues with anger until I had kids. You laugh. It makes sense though. Typically we get angry when life doesn’t go as we think it should. And anyone who has kids knows, life rarely goes as planned.
While we’re on this earth, coffee will spill. People will hurt us. And kids will disobey. But we live under His blessing as we learn to bring anger thoughts to Him, learning to purposefully pause and allow the depths of His love and forgiveness guide our responses to frustrating situations.
Last week we meditated on Jesus’ words regarding anger. We saw in the text that it’s not enough to restrain our hands, or even our words. He looks at the state of our heart to see if anger resides or love abides. Because love covers a multitude of sins.
This week we will memorize Matthew 5:23-25, putting us halfway through chapter 5! Keep at it, friends. His Word is life to us.
23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison.
Matthew 5:23-25
Y-ouch. Stab me right in the heart. I never thought I had anger issues until children either. It is a constant battle for me. And it is sin! God is working away on this in my heart and I know what I need to do to avoid going there. Thank you for this reminder!
I truly believe that one of my kids’ main “jobs” in life is to reveal my depravity. :/ But it’s good. He so patiently prunes us. Running this race with you, sister friend.
Amen! Thanks for the encouraging words Lara!
Amen sister! And really it wasn’t until I had 3 children! I felt like, “where did this person that I don’t even know come from?” Further dependence on the Lord. Reading a great book called “Good and Angry”–“Anger is good for identifying problems, not for solving them.” Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one out there who were surprised by that personality trait upon the raising of their sweet faced children.