PC3 Devotions

Statistics show that more than 60% of people lose their temper at least once per week. These stats should get you angry because you know the other 40% of respondents are not being honest. Each one of us has buttons that, if pushed correctly, amp up our emotions and cause us to freak out. These triggers have the ability to set us off on a path of destructive words, thoughts, and behaviors if not dealt with properly.

When you are angry, you should take notice. Why? Because anger serves as an indicator of disarray happening within your heart. Our anger is a gauge of what is taking place on the inside. Jesus confirms this point. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Later on in Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus takes it a step further. Take a moment and consider these words found in Matthew:

Matthew 15:18-19

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

To understand anger, we have to look at our heart. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us to guard our heart because it serves as the “wellspring of life.” What is taking place within our heart when we get angry? There are numerous reasons our emotions get all amped up: feeling our “rights” have been violated, frustrated over our current circumstances, not having control over a situation, our pride getting hurt, feeling misunderstood, being disrespected, or someone blocking what we desire.

At the core of all these reasons is the fact that you wanted something and didn’t get it. James 4 tells us that the source of our quarrels and fights “come from the evil desires at war within you.  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.” Kill seems like a pretty harsh word. But in Matthew 5:22, Jesus placed the anger you hold towards someone on the same playing field as the sin of murder. The Bible says we shouldn’t take our anger lightly. It is no wonder, then, that scripture also urges to not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26) and to put all anger away (Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:31).

Selfishness, ungratefulness, and impatience define our anger. We get angry when we don’t get what we want and sometimes think we deserve. This places us on shaky ground because people who feel they are owed something walk around with a chip on their shoulders. The longer we let this anger fester the more it clouds our judgments. Proverbs 27:4 compares anger to a flood in its power to destroy and harm.

Other parts of scripture go as far as saying anger kills the foolish man (Job 5:2). How? By consuming our thoughts and dictating our actions which tend to bring with it all kinds of sin (Proverbs 29:22). Getting angry rarely solves problems and, in fact, tends to produce more conflict and trouble (Proverbs 30:33). Losing our cool only makes things worse because we tend to act like fools (Proverbs 14:7, Ecclesiastes 7:9). The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires (James 1:20).

Yet, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, expects us to experience anger.  He understood that emotions are God-given. Paul is more concerned that his readers understand how to manage their anger, and from his perspective the key is not allowing it to get wedged inside your heart. In other words, cut it off at its source as quickly as possible.

Instead we are commanded to be slow to anger (James 1:19, Proverbs 16:32). Yes, patience in difficult situations does bring peace and perspective (Proverbs 14:29). But that is not our main purpose for being slow to anger. During those moments of patience, we are reflecting God’s heart (Exodus 34:5, Numbers 14:18). The kindness of God, seen through His being slow to anger, is what allows us to repent. We get rid of anger and bitterness through the difficult act of forgiveness, which is both an event and process. We must forgive just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).

Understanding the love God has for us is critical in helping us process through our anger and tense situations. We want so desperately to control our own world and have everything fall into place. We desire to be the one who dictates our path and our direction. In a way, believing we are in control of anything is foolish. God is in complete control and holds everything together by His hand (Psalm 103:19, Romans 8:28). He controls the laws of the universe, the tides of the ocean. Our very existence depends on Him. We can rest in the fact that the one who is in control of everything loves us deeply. This helps us from agonizing over trying to control every situation or fuming with negative anger over our current situation.

God, may I not take my angry lightly. Help me to confront the real reasons I freak out and get angry. Enable me to see the deeper issues taking place within my heart. Shine your light on these areas. Expose them for what they are. Amen.

Proverbs 14:27
 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Proverbs 19:23

23 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

The flu bug finally made its’ temporary residence at our home. With my wife out of commission and our two little ones under the weather as well, I took a day off from work to take care of the family. The girls had fallen asleep on the couch and I got sucked into watching day time talk shows. As I flipped through the channels, I came across an episode of Maury Povich that, according to the introduction, promised people would face their biggest fears and be cured by the end of the hour long show.

The way they hyped it up I thought I was going to see people freaking out over huge snakes, hairy spiders or crowded elevators. To my surprise, it turned out the guests possessed a fear of fluffy bunnies, bald people and, believe it or not, cotton balls.  It wasn’t a healthy dislike for these things but rather a dose of fear that elicited squirming in chairs, panic attacks, sobbing and eventually hysterically running off stage when the object came into their line of sight.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as a grown man was reduced to tears over the presence of a floppy eared bunny. It was just plain silly and odd. Even more perplexing than what I caught on the morning talk shows is how many Christians deep down inside have an undiagnosed and unhealthy fear: theophobia or the “fear of God.” For many of us the phrase “the fear of the Lord” is a pretty confusing, if not intimidating idea. For the next three weeks, we’ll be exploring how our “theophobia” has steered us in the wrong direction and given us a false view of who God is. We tend to fear God because we see Him as fickle, changing His mind about us based on our actions. However, our God is righteous and unchanging, worthy of our attention and respect.

The term “fear of God” has been used to keep people cowering before God as though He is simply waiting for them to cross the line so He can demonstrate His power and wrath.  God is not fickle in the things He asks us to do.  He is not cruel in the way He treats His children.  He always has a grand purpose for every relationship, for every encounter, for every difficulty, for every moment.

If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom (Psalm 111:9, 10) then it is critical we begin to reclaim this term “fear”. The scriptures use the term “fear of the Lord” over and over again.  Most versions keep this phrase in tact and it can be viewed as reverent trust in the creator (Isaiah 33:6 and 1 Samuel 12:24).  It is connected to wonder, marvel and awe in His presence and power (Jeremiah 5:21-23, Exodus 14).  Yet, the intended meaning often gets lost in translation.

Our definition of this fear feeds all the worst parts about who we think God is and what we think about Him. We have this fear mentality that defines everything in terms of how it may harm me.  But a reverent fear understands there is something far more difficult to repair than something physical.  It is not about our safety or the guarantee that we will not be hurt.  The fear of God is about who we see, who we trust and who defines the way in which we live. Jesus talks about this point in Luke 12:

Luke 12:4-7 

 4″ I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

In order to begin to see the fear of the Lord as a gift, one must view it through the contexts of both God’s authority and goodness. One without the other gives you a skewed view of Him. Only seeing his authority would cause you to be waiting for lightening bolts to strike anytime you screwed up or got caught in sin. In essence, this fear is driven by our belief that God is fickle and according to scripture this is not true. The God we serve is one who is consistent in His love for us (Hebrews 13:8). He is a God of justice (having to deal with our sin) and mercy (sending His son Jesus to die in our place). One filled with righteousness and loving-kindness. We must see God and feel His love. This type of fear draws you near and inspires wonder. Fear is a healthy respect for His authority and His willingness to use it.  This revering and awe produce in us obedience.

The fear of the Lord produces in us a posture that enables wisdom and knowledge to take root in our lives. We must position ourselves to see God for God. This starts by understanding we are not here on our own terms and that everyday is a gift from God.

Waiting is the hardest part…  This is a famous line from a famous song.  It is also true.  We are either plagued by impatience because we know what is coming or we are racked with anxiety because we do not.

The idea of waiting is a topic that is prevalent in the Bible, but what does waiting look like and what are we waiting on?

Psalm 130:5
I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
And in His word do I hope.

This passage does not answer our question, but it does tell us what to do, particularly in light of our quest to make great decisions.  Here we see that we must posture ourselves for patience and then allow our souls to catch up to that posture.  My soul waits.  It means anxiety dissipates and my impatience looses its traction as my soul finds rest and waits.

Waiting is not indifferent.  Instead, we find hope in the word of God.  This is a posture of learning and listening.  As you wrestle with decisions and your convictions about issues, search the Scriptures and listen attentively for the Lord to speak to you on these matters.

Resist interrogating God, demanding that He explain Himself.  Instead, wait and listen.  Allow His gentle hands to form and the sting of His conviction to correct.  Allow you soul to wait; allow hope to swell.

To hope in His word is to trust His word.

This process in and of itself is a serious pursuit- the holy call of hearing God’s voice and following where He leads.  Yet, this is precisely what you are doing when you read His word.  And as you wait and listen, remember, you are not looking for answers, but rather, you are looking for God.

Moses discovered this in the desert.  Look carefully at Moses’ declaration as he was waiting on God, trying to figure out what to do with God’s crazy people in the desert.  Moses needed answers.  He needed direction.  God has him wait and Moses finds what he is waiting on and utters this much-needed prayer as God gives him the promise of His presence:

Exodus 33:14-15
And God said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest…”

Moses responds, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us from here.”

What a powerful position!  And it answers the question we’ve asked: “What are we waiting on?” We are waiting for God to lead us.  We are waiting for Him to speak, to clarify, to lead.  And we are postured to trust and to obey.

The principle of Abstinence until License isn’t merely to keep us from doing things we might someday regret, but it serves to keep us in a posture to follow God’s guidance.  Too often, we are so impatient that we jump ahead of God and do not ever give Him a chance to say yes.  Wait on the Lord.

You are not waiting on a circumstance or to feel better about your situation, but you are waiting on Him.  Scour His word and listen for His voice, and pray along with Moses- Lord, I’d rather stay here with You and take one step without You.

Lord, I confess that I often just go and speculate as to what You say or what You are doing.  Instead, I will wait.  I will seek Your truth and I will listen for Your voice.  Lord, if you do not lead me, then I don’t want to go.  I will wait.  I will trust.  Amen.