Tag Archives: Anger

Drop Those Rocks – Blossom Turner
avatar

Posted on by
Photo courtesy of microsoft.com free image gallery

What stones do you throw?

If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. John 8:7b

I never want to go back to that dark place.

In those days, anger poured out all too often. I moved through the motions of the Christian life. Defiantly, I would flip my Bible open to skim through a daily reading out of obligation, not love. One particular day, God had enough of the duplicity in my heart and decided to jump off the pages of His Word.

My eyes fell on the eighth chapter of John. Like the Pharisees who brought the adulterous woman to Jesus, black-hearted condemnation filled my being. Over 2000 years melted away. There I stood, rock in hand. The woman who had trespassed on my marriage knelt in the dust before me. Blood drained from my fingertips as I gripped that stone in preparation. It didn’t feel big enough. I wanted retribution for the pain she’d caused.

Then Jesus inconveniently spoke. “If any one of you is without sin, cast the first stone.”

He looked my way. His eyes bore into mine before He knelt to the ground and scribbled sins in the dirt—envy, hatred, bitterness, rage, unforgiveness—all mine.

Heavy tears slid down my cheeks as I wept uncontrollably. The rock slipped free, dust billowing at my feet. I turned away.

I could hear Jesus talking to her, that adulterous woman. Instinct told me to run, but the Spirit compelled me to listen.

“Neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go and sin no more.”

His words were a reminder to me.

Have you ever been outraged by the pain someone else inflicted on you? The key to unlock that prison of perpetual anger is God’s forgiveness. His power gives us strength to drop those rocks. His Spirit convicts us of our own wrongdoing. His love covers a multitude of sin.

From personal experience, I know—God forgives. He frees. He heals the brokenhearted. If you have been wounded by life’s sorrow, believe and hope. Cry out to Jesus. He will comfort and heal. Let Him.
Photo courtesy of microsoft.com free image gallery

Blossom Turner is a speaker and freelance author. Visit her website and blog at www.blossomturner.com specifically tailored to encourage those who are suffering from any type of betrayal.

Read Blossom’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

 

 

 

QR Code

Curse You – She Said
avatar

Posted on by
Courtesy of microsoft.com free image gallery

Curse you!

…bless those who curse you… Luke 6:28 ESV

It was all in silliness. But the silliness became an ultimate teaching moment.

We were near Indianapolis, Indiana and as we drove past a dam, my son slipped between the bucket seats.

“Mom?” He pointed to a man standing on top of the dam. “Do you suppose the dam man fishes off that dam thing over there?”

A grin stretched across my face. I knew what he meant. He wasn’t cursing but the harder I tried to mute my laughter the worse it became. Then came the jokes. “That dam man probably cares for all the dam fish in the dam water. And my guess is, dam fishing isn’t allowed.” Everyone in the car broke into laughter. My son suddenly realized how his question sounded.

It was all in fun. A simple, innocent question, turned into something it was never meant to be. We had the perfect opportunity to talk about the ills of cursing and the pain in using those curses toward others.

I recently heard a man damn a desk to hell and I wondered if the guy realized how stupid it made him appear. “Why would God damn a desk to hell? It’s wood. I don’t get it.” My skin tightened and the hair on my neck stood. How must God feel? Twisting and perverting His name with profanity must break His heart. And why is it… it’s always God’s name? Why not Henry, Sophie, or George? God never deserved to be cursed in any form of the word…not the God of all creation. Not the One who loves us despite our stupidity.

When Jesus wanted to teach what it meant to really love someone, He threw out every scenario He could think of to make His point. When they hate you, love them. When they least deserve goodness, give it. When they throw curses, insults…love them more. Pray for them.

Jesus was a hard man. Not hard in a lack of compassion, but in His teaching. He asked us to step up and do what was tough. He knew He’d be facing man’s horror at His crucifixion. Yet in the midst of Jesus’ worst, He practiced what He preached. Father forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing. He loved them despite their deed.

My boys experienced a teaching moment and to this day, they still remember the dam man and the dam fish. They also remember the lesson behind the joke. When someone curses – be it their language or their actions…be the bigger, better man and love them anyway.

It’s not easy and it’ll try you to the point of breaking. But don’t. Love them anyway.

Read Cindy’s devotions

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. Eddie and Cindy travel and speak at conferences across the country and they are available to speak at your church or conference. Contact them at cindy@christiandevotions.us.

 

 

 

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God? Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

QR Code

Forget About It – Jannette Morrow
avatar

Posted on by

The Healing Power of Forgiveness

…Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3: 13-14.

I didn’t often get to do house-calls in well kept mansions while practicing as a hospice physician, but as I looked around “Mr. Smith’s” home, it was obvious he had retired from a lucrative career. The thin, frail, ninety-four-year-old seemed pleasant enough as he answered my questions about his illness and how he had been doing.

The conversation turned to Mr. Smith’s career. He told me he had owned a major company that printed record labels. I’m old enough to remember the colorful labels that identified vinyl records, and was surprised that label printing was outsourced.

“So, if a company like Columbia Records were producing a new album,” I asked, “they’d send you the information and your workers would print all the labels they needed?”

Suddenly, Mr. Smith’s eyes narrowed and his lips twisted into an angry frown. His voice was like a growl.

“We couldn’t get the Columbia account.”

I quickly moved the conversation forward and started my physical exam. Mr. Smith resumed his pleasant demeanor. But while I examined him, I couldn’t help wondering why a missed opportunity, from what was surely at least fifty years prior, still angered this otherwise successful man who was now near the end of his life.

The Apostle Paul, like my patient, had a past full of both failures to be angry about and laurels to rest on. But Paul was transformed by Christ. The past was behind him, so he forgot about it – and focused on the future that God had for him.

It’s easy to hang on to anger or remorse over our past failures, or even the comfort of past victories. However, the prize of God’s upward call – fulfilling His purpose for us in this life and our glorious eternity with Him in the future – is far more valuable than anything we are holding on to.

What experiences from your past are preventing you from focusing on God’s upward call? It’s never too late to let them go and press towards the goal, even if you are reaching the end of your earthly life. Jesus is waiting with your reward.

Jannette Morrow is a medical communications writer from Wilmington, DE. Read Jannett’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

The Power of a Secret – Jenny Smith
avatar

Posted on by

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective James 5:16 NIV

I needed comfort. Not that anyone would comfort me if they knew what I had just done.

I sank slowly to the ground in my kitchen, right in the same spot where the cabinets meet and form a v-shape. For some reason I’m drawn here every time. Maybe on some level, the closeness of the cabinets feels like someone’s comforting arms. Like I said, not that anyone would comfort me.

Tears poured down my face and I felt so helpless . . . defeated and ashamed. I’m in church weekly, a volunteer at the elementary school, and harboring a secret that, if anyone knew, would cause me to lose everything. Why can’t I get my anger under control? Why do I hurt my little ones with my words and actions over and over?

My secret was anger. The cycle was vicious. I would blow up, cry my eyes out in my corner, and then get up and act like it never happened. Deep down I wanted to change. I did everything I knew to do. I prayed. I tried and I failed, over and over. At the time, I was teaching an adult Bible class at church on the book of James. It was there, in James, where I discovered something that changed me.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

I still remember seeing those words. I started to sweat and I felt like I might throw up. I wanted God to make my anger go away, but I would never consider telling anyone. What would they do? Who would they tell? How would people treat me?

My girls were young; nine and four. I knew my anger was making their lives difficult. “Confess your faults” rolled around my head for days. One evening I passed the pastor’s wife at church. “Can we talk?” I stammered. I can’t remember exactly what I told her, but it was at that moment I changed.

The power of a secret is huge but once I pulled my secret out into the light, God showed me the steps I needed to take next to be healed.

My girls are older now and they still remember some of the bad times, but what they remember most is that Mom changed. I’m not the same anymore . . . I have been healed.

If you are hanging on to a secret, share it with a close friend and the power will be broken. Nothing is more exciting than freedom.

Jenny’s passion is sharing both her struggles and successes with women to encourage them in their own walk with Jesus. Jenny and her husband reside in Adairsville, Georgia with their three girls. You can visit Jenny’s website at www.keepinginstride.com for more resources.

Read Jenny’s devotions.

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!

 

Step to the Side – She Said
avatar

Posted on by
In Defense of Satan

Words

But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Jude 1:9

Listen to Step to the Side – She Said

Joseph didn’t have a chance. There was no pleasing his associates in the firm. Their habit was to browbeat one another; throw insults and lies. What Joseph saw was a firm falling apart from partners who blamed everyone else for their mishaps.

“It’s all your fault. The company isn’t moving ahead because of you. You’re a detriment to the firm.”

Joseph felt sick. He knew he’d worked hard in the firm, studying, bringing cases before hard judges and winning them but when his associates accused him of being a detriment, he shook his head and walked away.

I’m a peacemaker (and not the one that wears black leather jackets). I’ve never handled conflict well and it’s me who falls in the rubble of those whose opinion weighs heavier. Oh, I state my opinion, make suggestions, but if I’m attacked from the opposition, I tend to walk away. There have been times I’ve felt anger boil beneath the surface as others have hurled insults and hurtful insinuations. My thoughts are, this isn’t my battle, it’s God’s. He knows if I’m right or wrong and in Him I find the protection I need to withstand the attacks.

Even Michael the archangel understood the battle was God’s. He could have let loose with lightening fast accusations against Satan and probably have been in the right, but he didn’t. He stepped to the side and said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

It’s hard for us to walk away from a fight. Our nature leads us to defend our honor regardless of whether we’re right or wrong. I walked away from the hardest battle in my life and chose to say nothing while others made their own decisions about the situation. Folks waited for me to retaliate, but I didn’t. It wasn’t my battle.

There’s something to be said about the archangel’s example in his war of words with Satan. He showed us that even though he may have had just cause, it was God’s place to rebuke.

Walking away from the battle I faced was the best decision I’ve ever made. Think about your battles and your words then step to the side and let God take control.

Read Cindy’s devotions

HE SAID, SHE SAID RADIO IS MOVING TO MONDAY NIGHT…Join us as we delve deeper into the meaning of God’s word and apply it to our own lives.

Eddie Jones and Cindy Sproles are friends and cofounders of ChristianDevotions.us. They cowrite the popular He Said, She Said devotions and host Blog Talk Radio’s Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! along with Scott McCausey. And now you can catch them on He Said, She Said Radio. at their new time, MONDAY’S at 6 p.m. (Call in number, 646-929-0706 ).

Do you sense something vital missing from you relationship with your spouse, children, and God?

Try He Said, She Said: A Devotional Guide to Cultivating a Life of Passion. This compilation of 54 devotions includes scripture verses, space for journaling, individual prayers and words of wisdom from two of today’s funniest and insightful Christian authors. This heart-warming collection of stories will inspire you to reach for the true source of joy: a life lived for and through God. These deeply personal devotions offer biblical insights and spiritual truths from the perspective of one man and one woman.

Do What Is Right – Norma Thurston Holtman
avatar

Posted on by

I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel….” Philippians 4:2-3

The words stung like a whip striking out of nowhere, biting and tearing at my heartstrings. What had I said to deserve this? A seemingly innocuous comment had provoked a harsh and unexpected response and my first response was to strike back.

Just as I began to formulate my answer, the phone rang. On the other end I heard the voice of my sister—my “loyal yoke-fellow.” She listened to the angry words I had planned and said, “Remember what Dad would have said. No matter what anyone else does, it is your responsibility to do the right thing.”

I was reminded of these two women in the Philippian church with the unpronounceable names, Euodia and Syntyche. These Christian women worked hard alongside Paul for the sake of the gospel but they must have had an ongoing dispute that affected other people enough for him to address it publicly. Agreeing with one another in the Lord means to set aside our own feelings in order to do what pleases Him — to make God and His kingdom the priority.

With my sister’s help, I formulated an answer that addressed the circumstances and the angry response. I offered to pray for the person who’d hurt me, and thanked them for a recent kindness I’d planned to ignore in light of their hurtful words.

It wasn’t easy—doing the right thing seldom is. But when we do, there’s satisfaction in knowing God works through us to ease a hurt we don’t even understand. Try it. I guarantee it will change your heart attitude and allow you to grow. It helped me. Look at your differences with others and do the right thing.

Norma Thurston Holtman is a former RN and homeschool/soccer mom. She is the mother of two adult children. She and her husband make their home in the mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. A long-time Bible study leader, she writes a weekly devotional for her church’s website. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an aspiring novelist. She desires to use her writing to bring glory to God and encourage fellow believers. Her devotionals can be found at http://2MefromHim.blogspot.com.
Read Norma’s devotions and poems. 

Receive a daily devotion on your Kindle!