First, let me say that anger is not a bad thing in and of itself. It is a built-in trigger that God created to help us respond to injustice. Unfortunately, we are affected by sin so that 1) we do not always have a good handle on justice; 2) our perceptions can be subjective, distorted and selfish and 3) wallowing in hurt feelings is not constructive, either. Well, something happened that made me angry, and I felt like a steaming teapot as I struggled to find a good way to respond.
Have you heard of a concept called the "scarlet thread?" Roughly speaking, it means that the story of Christ is the central theme of the Bible, and if you look carefully, you can see Jesus through the text of the scriptures.
For example, Adam sinned and covered his nakedness with fig leaves. Later, God clothed Adam with animal skins... an innocent animal died to cover this man's sin. The eye looking for the scarlet thread might notice how this foreshadows Christ's atonement for sin by the shedding of his own blood.
Sometimes we look at a passage that might be otherwise difficult, like Old Testament laws, and it helps to look for how that relates to Jesus. But I wonder if the general principle can also be stretched to accommodate finding Christ outside of the Bible as well.
Maybe... just maybe, such is the case with this thing that got my knickers in a twist. Maybe it makes better sense if I look for Jesus in it. How do these circumstances relate to the Lord? How can that situation be used to glorify him? I couldn't do that and still carry out the seething vitriol of a full blown conniption fit.
Hmmm... this process of looking for the scarlet thread helped in a big way when I was "seeing red."
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8 comments:
Sounds good to me. : )
with some of the things that have been going on in my life in the last couple of months i've had to do the same. glad it helped you find perspective.
Craver: Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this line throughout the bible.
II guess its better to talk to an impartial Person who can remain cool and come up with the right answer?
Oh I don't think I have ever seen you getting mad but things happen to all of us when we feel like having a good old fashioned wobbly.
Sorry you felt so angry, Craver, I hope you are well over it now. :)
Happyone, I think that helped keep me out of trouble.
Lime, the redirected perspective was exactly what I needed. I'm still praying for your job search.
I hope you find it helpful in your own reading, Fishing Guy.
Wise thoughts, Imac. It sounds like what we read in 1 Peter 1:17.
I'm glad you have never seen me angry, Denise. I try not to let too much get to me, but sometimes a man just has to take a stand in opposition to injustice.
Thanks CameraGirl, but it wasn't the kind of anger to get over. It was more like the kind of anger that motivates a person to fix a situation that is messed up. But it helped a lot to look for the Lord's redemptive plan in things.
Thanks for visiting, Morgan. Unfortunately, I do not read Portuguese.
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