I can’t help but write what’s on
my mind, and at the moment that the problem of anger. A few miles
away a teen shot and killed another teen at school last week. I
recently thought I might have to break up a fight between two women
in the Walmart checkout line. I’ve gotten to where I hate to drive,
because either I’m angering other drivers or they are angering me.
Anger is not just a problem in the world but in the church too.
People say or do things that cause conflict, perhaps intentionally,
but often unintentionally—failing to talk to someone, assuming too
much, pushing a person out of a job, etc. The color of the carpet,
the music, and budget allocations have been known to cause church
splits. James wrote,
“What causes
quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your
passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you
murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do
not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because
you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:1-3 ESV).
I had always read James 4:2-3 as
instruction on prayer, but nowhere does James say that. Rather, might
he be saying that if you would talk to the other person you would
find no reason to covet and quarrel? So many conflicts could be
avoided simply by communicating better. Most of us probably don’t
murder or fight, but we’re experts at snide remarks and angry
thoughts. Jesus said that “everyone who is angry with his brother
will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be
liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be
liable to the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:22). I doubt that anyone is
innocent under those criteria.
The Apostle Paul wrote,
“Now the
works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of
anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies,
and things like these... Let us not become conceited, provoking one
another, envying one another” (Galatians 5:19-21a, 26).
I find it interesting that his list
can almost be divided into two categories: lust and anger. I suspect
that most pastors would also identify those as the two biggest areas
of sin in their churches. The Apostle John summarized it this way,
“For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the
desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from that Father but
is from the world” (1 John 2:16).
Anger doesn’t occur in a vacuum.
There is always some underlying cause, and often there are related
emotional triggers—pride or shame, fear, jealousy, desire,
prejudice, or some combination of those. David Powlison said “sinful anger is an expression
of your playing God according to James 4:12. Who are you if you judge
your brother? Who are you if you speak evil of him? Well, you are
God. You are acting as though you are lawgiver and judge.” We
believe we are god of something, so we balk at being dethroned.
Thinking of a recent situation that
angered me, I realize it was a result of 1) lack of clear
communication of purpose and expectations, and 2) jealousy over
losing control of something that I once believed to be my domain
(along with some other tangential issues). Some explanation helped,
but more necessary is an ongoing surrender of my rights to rule or to
judge others who do things differently. I know the world would be
better if everyone would just do things my way! God must say the same
thing every day about the choices that we make and the ways we try to
take over His throne. One day the King will come and remind us all
Who is really in charge.
“Who is wise and understanding
among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness
of wisdom... But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,
gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and
sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who
make peace” (James 3:13, 17-18).
© 2018 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise
indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The
opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or
employer.
