AVOIDING* THE HALL OF MIRRORS
OR ESCAPING
CHAPTER 4
Slow to Anger? (2|2)
Pages 55-62
Romans 12:17-19 (NIV) Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:21 (NIV) Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Words can be like bullets fired from a gun. Once they leave the barrel of your mouth, that damage can be instantly lethal. You can’t put a fired bullet back in a gun, and you can’t unsay words. There is no edit, undo in life. Have you spoken or received words that were said in anger with great damage as a consequence that was avoidable by not pulling the trigger (speaking them out)?
“It’s fascinating that even when acting in righteous anger, Jesus took the time to create a whip of cords before driving the merchants out of the temple. If this doesn’t make us stop and think before we speak, press ‘send’, or make decisions, I don’t know what will; this perfect man experiencing righteous anger takes His time before acting.” Slow to speak and slow to act doesn’t mean not speaking or acting, but the Bible does say, “In your anger do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). Jesus’ actions in righteous anger were calculated. Thoughts?
“Leaving room for God’s wrath means trusting that God has seen the wrong, cares about it, and, one way or another, will put it right. This gives a foundation of faith and peace to whatever follows. Spiritually speaking, there must be a sense of working with God rather than a sense that ‘God will do nothing, so I’ll take matters into my own hands!’” Where and when have you experienced or witnessed being bitten by taking God’s matters into our own hands?
“If anger is a big personal challenge for you, keep in mind that at the end of the day, it is just another sin that Jesus died for, judged, and overcame through his death. It’s important to hear this because sometimes when we struggle in a particular area, our desire to be free of it can lead to a counterproductive hyper-focus on it.” What is your response to this statement?