Anger is Heavy, Grace is Light

 God's anger is shown from heaven against all the evil and wrong things people do. By their own evil lives they hide the truth. God shows his anger because some knowledge of him has been made clear to them. Yes, God has shown himself to them. 

Romans 1:18-19

"God is angry at the evil that ruins his children. 'As long as God is God, he cannot behold with indifference that his creation is destroyed and his holy will trodden underfoot." -Max Lucado (In the Grip of Grace) 

To say that there is evil in the world is not a new concept, nor is it new to hear that people are evil and wrong and doing horrible things to themselves and each other. But to say that God is sweet and loving through it all is to be blind to who God is and what He truly wants for us, His children. 

God is angered by the things that bring us to self-destruction, destruction of others, evil doings, disobedience. God doesn't stop loving us because He is angry at us, just like a parent doesn't stop loving a wayward child. But His love doesn't excuse anger and wrongdoing and He means business. 

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 

Romans 1:21

I've been angry lately. Angrier than I've probably ever been in my entire life, and it's not wearing well on me at all. Anger, even the so-called "justified" kind, is not a good feeling. I'm hearing and seeing things that just send me into a tailspin of rage, and I have nowhere to go with all this yucky emotion. Or do I? 

It is said that before we understand the greatness of God's grace, we must first understand his wrath. To understand just how powerful the grace of God is, we must realize that God was the first one to be trampled, disregarded, hated, lied about, and sinned against, despite all he had done for the people. And it goes on still today. People who are evil, destructive, haughty, lying, murdering, committing every sin under the sun, and yet there is the grace of God. How does He do it? He's God. That's how. He is God and we are not. 

We are told that because grace was extended to us, we can extend grace to others. There is no "if they apologize", "if they make things right", "if they stop doing that thing they are doing". I have grappled with this grace thing lately because to my human mind there is a difference between a friend hurting your feelings and extending grace and an attack on your country. One hurts a little and the other makes me want to crack some skulls together and never forgive anyone who stands with them, if I'm being honest about my anger. And I can be nothing but honest or how can I help you or myself?

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. 

Romans 5:20

But God doesn't see it that way. Human anger is self-driven and self-righteous.  I have seen and heard so much hate these past couple of weeks and during this past year throughout the pandemic. I am angry for many reasons and sometimes I don't know what to do with all the things I think and feel. What I do know is I can't live my life without peace. A person without peace is a person who can no longer think straight, help others effectively, hear from God effectively, or respond in a way that is helpful when it matters. My judgment is affected when in the back of my mind a pot of angry stew is brewing with the lid just bubbling up and steam is rising. At any moment I just know it's going to blow and nothing good comes from an exploding pot of anything. 

For man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 

James 1:20 

The good news is that God understands anger. The difference is that his anger is because of His great love for His creation and His desire for us to follow him. His actions are more effective than mine because He can keep loving through his anger and my love becomes less apparent with anger. Like the parent who spanks the child who ran in the street to chase a ball, they did so out of love and the fear of losing their precious child. All the child felt was the spanking and all they heard was the scream of "Don't you ever do that again!" My fear of losing unity in my country, unity among my friends and family, harmony within the Christian community-there is nothing even righteous anger can do to fix that right now. What I need and what some people seem to need is a steady and stable source of calm. Is extending human grace a part of that calm? I think so, yes. And yet it will take a whole lot of it for any kind of healing to begin. Humans are complicated beings, and they don't like to admit they are wrong. Do we?

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 

1 Peter 2:21 

What is happening in the world right now and not just here in America, is bigger than any of us but it's not bigger than God. It may seem out of control and filled with fear and the unknown. It may look deceptive at every turn. It may look like nothing is ever going to be any better. Just watch the news for a couple hours and you might feel jittery, sick to your stomach, and probably a little negative for the rest of the week. We can't let the state of the world rule our feelings, no matter how "real" it all feels. 

I'm preaching to my own choir here. Don't think for one minute I have this all figured out. As I've always said here in my blog, I'm learning right along with you. I'm no scholar of anything but knowing where to turn when I need help. I have to make a choice daily: am I going to succumb to my feelings about the circumstances we are in? Am I going to give in to fear? Am I going to rage about all the unfairness and lies that are being sold as truths? Or is there a way that I can choose peace? Is there a way I can still be loving and caring and invested in the things and people I care about, while trusting God for the outcome? Do I have the right to put a price on grace? No. God says extend grace as a way to extend the same love and compassion that was extended to me while I was still a bag of rags and being a wayward brat. I have no right to decide if another person deserves grace because I too need grace every day. It is pompous to believe otherwise. 

And he answered, Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. 

2 Kings 6:16,17

One way to peace is to accept that even when we think we are in control, we are not. Even when things turned out the way we wanted them to, and especially when they do not! The best cure for fear is faith. We have God in heaven who already knows the outcome to all the turmoil down here. He already knows the answers to our questions and He knows the timing of all the things we want to have done and who we want to do them. It has never been about us and what we want and the sooner we figure that out, the better. The more I tell myself that, the better off I become. God said we WILL have problems in this world, but that He has overcome them. We are to trust his judgment and not our own. God is bigger than state, than country, and certainly bigger than the world. 

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 

John 16:33 

Blessings! Pray for your world, country, and state leaders. For those who are trying to do right in a wrong situation. For those who are doing wrong in a right situation. For those who are misled, for those who are sick, for those who are blind, for those who are seeking. For those who need shelter, for those who are unseen, unheard, and uncared for. For those in need of a Savior, for those in need of a friend. Pray harder than you've ever prayed.