AVOIDING* THE HALL OF MIRRORS
OR ESCAPING
CHAPTER 4
Sin, Suffering and Strangeness + Slow to Anger (1|2)
Pages 47-55 (end reading at: That’s a big one.)
Genesis 4:1-8 (ESV) Yes again -the confrontation of Abel will be read on page 49.
James 1:19-21 (NIV) My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
If you are comfortable sharing, have you misread a situation and, in response, become emotional, only to realize you misread it (false alarm)? What did you do with that? Have your actions or decisions been misread by someone, which caused a strong emotional response? What did you do?
“I’ve found that thinking about who is at the core of what I’m getting angry about is a helpful starter. If I’m at the centre, and I feel I’ve been wronged, overlooked or harshly treated, then usually the anger I’m feeling is not righteous.” What is your response to this statement?
Do you have an example of when you have experienced anger on someone else’s behalf, an unselfish anger? What did you do with that anger?
“At the moment of misunderstanding, we can believe the worst and withdraw and plan revenge like Cain, or we can believe the best and move towards the person in love, asking questions to let us understand more deeply. The former is a fallen response, the latter a Godly one.” With honest reflection, do you naturally lean toward a fallen response or a Godly one? If fallen, how can change begin to happen to move toward a natural Godly response?