Wrath
James 1:20
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
First off, this is a difficult verse for me. I have wrestled with this verse because, frankly, wrath works. When I get angry, I get my way. And not only me. I see it all over the place. John gets angry at Laura then he gets to choose what game they play. Aubrey gets mad and we find a way to appease her. My problem has been that anger is effective.
A common example is this, I need help to clean up the kitchen after dinner but every one goes off and does something else. So, I get angry and then everyone comes and helps - quickly. Instead, I could humbly ask for help. Yes, but, for some reason, I don't seem to get an immediate response when I try asking patiently and nicely.
So, the word of God is not wrong. The wrath of man is not the way to get the righteousness of God. Then the question came - maybe the problem is the way I define success. Maybe success isn't the clean kitchen or whatever flavor "my way" comes in. Maybe that is the point. Maybe life is not supposed to be about getting my way. Regardless of how "noble", my way is. Maybe life is so much less about external results and so much more about the heart. Trying to follow and be conformed to the ways that Jesus commands us to go.
Romans 12:1-2
We are supposed to be a living sacrifice. We are supposed to be renewing our minds and our ways to his ways. This is not easy. It is an all-encompassing goal. Maybe the problems arise when we get our minds and hearts off that goal and turn to different goals.
It would be like if I am running a race and am focused on getting to that finish line. Then, I notice that some people received blue gatorade at the drink stand. Well, for some reason, I got red gatorade. But I prefer blue gatorade. So, I turn around and run the opposite way of the finish line to find the drink stand that was offering blue gatorade. I focus, I find it, and get my blue gatorade. Mission complete! But is it? I completely lost focus on the true reason I was even running. I was there to run the best race I could.
In the same way, I am meant to follow Jesus. I am to follow his commands and follow his ways. Then, at times, I make the goal, a clean kitchen, as in the example, or maybe a job position, or something I want to buy, or maybe being treated a certain way. I completely abandon my race for this temporary and less important goal. Wow, what a mistake! We need to keep our eyes on the true prize. We need to remember that he is the reason we live. Let's not settle for the temporary and external. We are made for a purpose that is so much greater!
For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
First off, this is a difficult verse for me. I have wrestled with this verse because, frankly, wrath works. When I get angry, I get my way. And not only me. I see it all over the place. John gets angry at Laura then he gets to choose what game they play. Aubrey gets mad and we find a way to appease her. My problem has been that anger is effective.
A common example is this, I need help to clean up the kitchen after dinner but every one goes off and does something else. So, I get angry and then everyone comes and helps - quickly. Instead, I could humbly ask for help. Yes, but, for some reason, I don't seem to get an immediate response when I try asking patiently and nicely.
So, the word of God is not wrong. The wrath of man is not the way to get the righteousness of God. Then the question came - maybe the problem is the way I define success. Maybe success isn't the clean kitchen or whatever flavor "my way" comes in. Maybe that is the point. Maybe life is not supposed to be about getting my way. Regardless of how "noble", my way is. Maybe life is so much less about external results and so much more about the heart. Trying to follow and be conformed to the ways that Jesus commands us to go.
Romans 12:1-2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
We are supposed to be a living sacrifice. We are supposed to be renewing our minds and our ways to his ways. This is not easy. It is an all-encompassing goal. Maybe the problems arise when we get our minds and hearts off that goal and turn to different goals.
It would be like if I am running a race and am focused on getting to that finish line. Then, I notice that some people received blue gatorade at the drink stand. Well, for some reason, I got red gatorade. But I prefer blue gatorade. So, I turn around and run the opposite way of the finish line to find the drink stand that was offering blue gatorade. I focus, I find it, and get my blue gatorade. Mission complete! But is it? I completely lost focus on the true reason I was even running. I was there to run the best race I could.
In the same way, I am meant to follow Jesus. I am to follow his commands and follow his ways. Then, at times, I make the goal, a clean kitchen, as in the example, or maybe a job position, or something I want to buy, or maybe being treated a certain way. I completely abandon my race for this temporary and less important goal. Wow, what a mistake! We need to keep our eyes on the true prize. We need to remember that he is the reason we live. Let's not settle for the temporary and external. We are made for a purpose that is so much greater!
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