Verse of the day: James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to
hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does
not produce the righteousness of God.
Why are
we surprised when people oppose our Christian views and beliefs? Did not the
Lord already warn us, in John 15:18-25, that we would be hated, as He was
hated, because we are not of this world, just as He was not of this world? If
we know this, then why do we allow our anger to overtake us when we are either
defending our faith or being persecuted for who we are in Christ? One of the
reasons we immediately get angry is because we are not listening. We are quick
to reply because our feelings have been hurt, and we do not like being rejected,
which is nothing less than pride. If we, as born again believers, would just
stop and listen before we respond, we would have more of a tendency to give our
answers without ruining our testimony or working against what God is trying to
accomplish when we encounter situations that make us angry. When I say that we
need to stop and listen, I am talking about listening for God’s leading and the
Spirit’s reminders. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:9-11, Jesus
said that we are blessed when we are peacemakers, or when we choose peace over
wrath. He tells us that we are blessed when we are persecuted for Jesus’ sake.
We may not see this as a blessing; especially while we are in the midst of it,
but this is where we must be thinking ahead to the day that we stand before the
Lord, because the Word of God is clear that there is reward in Heaven for us
when we suffer for the cause of Christ. Immediately after saying this, Jesus
reminded us in verses 13-16, of Matthew 5, that we are light and salt here on
earth. How will we live up to that if all the unsaved, and other Christians,
see is a born again believer who preaches Christ but flies off the handle when
opposed, insulting and cursing when made angry? Proverbs 18:13 tells us that
folly and shame are ours when we give an answer to a matter without first
hearing it in its entirety. Sadly, we have too many of us who begin to answer
before we have completely heard what the other person has to say. We cannot get
angry with someone who states an opposing view or opinion and then be critical
of them for doing the same to us. Many well-meaning Christians, who are zealous
for the things of God, make the grave mistake of thinking that giving an
excitingly passionate answer is what God expects of us. This is not so. King
Solomon wrote, in Ecclesiastes 9:17, that the words of wise men are heard in
quiet more than the cries of the one who rules among fools. The display of
anger, by a Christian, shows an immaturity in our walk. 1 Peter 2:1 tells us to
lay aside evil speaking, which is usually the product of an angry spirit. Angry
zeal does nothing to convince the unsaved to come to Christ, and is not
profitable in helping restore a brother or sister who has stumbled in their
walk with Jesus. If you do not believe my words, then look for yourselves at
how Jesus dealt with those that opposed Him, and those He encountered who were
sinning. 1 Peter 2:23 tells us the Jesus did not revile, when He was reviled,
and He did not threaten when He suffered. In John 8, a woman caught in the act
of adultery was brought before Jesus. When we read that account in 1-11, we see
that Jesus spent more time dealing with her accusers than with her. However,
when He finally dealt with her directly, we see a kind, compassionate, Savior
who offered forgiveness and a loving, and calm, warning not to sin again. On
another occasion, in John 5:1-15, Jesus dealt with a man who had suffered from
a physical infirmity for 38 years. As we read the account, we see that this
sickness was apparently the consequence of sin in his life. How did Jesus deal
with him? He compassionately healed him, and lovingly, and calmly, warned him
to not sin again, lest something worse happen to him. The bottom line is that
what we consider a passionate zeal for God is only a carnal response, and a
spiritually immature way of answering both those who oppose us, or our brethren
who need our compassion and help. We can be angry and sin not by either
choosing not to give an answer right away or give an answer, without being
carnal in our approach. Proverbs 15:1 tells us that a soft answer turns away
wrath. God makes it very clear that it is His goodness that leads us to
repentance, for both the unsaved sinner and the erring brother or sister (Rom
2:4). So why would we think that our wrath would accomplish more than
demonstrating God’s goodness towards others?
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