Tag: anger

Be Still

Yes, I know; be still. It’s okay. Trust. No need to get all worked up. Take a deep breath. Shhhhh.

Babies. ​​ Toddlers. ​​ Busyness. ​​ Constantness. ​​ Nap time. ​​ Needed! ​​ 

Most of us can relate to the sudden, sweet quiet of a busy home during nap time or when, finally, children are in bed for the night. ​​ The atmosphere quiets down and suddenly you are able to actually think, or get something done, or just be still and breathe deeply for a few moments. ​​ I remember cherishing that small piece of quiet time where my brain could reorganize with no interruptions. ​​ We should wave a banner that says, ‘Adults need quiet time too’!

Or, picture a quickly beating heart stirred from emotions of excitement or fear or anger or​​ uncertainty or even​​ pleasure. ​​ Think of speech that elevates​​ in volume or has become nervously fast. ​​ The rushing around of needing to get things done. ​​ The feeling that you have to do something right now or fix a problem immediately. ​​ Sometimes we can feel like we’re on a playground merry-go-round. ​​ You know, the metal ones that have the bars you hold onto and then the ‘strong’ kid comes and decides to spin it really fast while you desperately try to hold on without getting sick?!

Be still.​​ ​​ 

2Ki 2:1-5​​ And it came about when the LORD was about to take up Elijah by a whirlwind to heaven, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.​​ 2​​ And Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here please, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.​​ 3​​ Then the sons of the prophets who [were at] Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he said, "Yes, I know;​​ be still."​​ 4​​ And Elijah said to him, "Elisha, please stay here, for the LORD has sent me to Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you." So they came to Jericho.​​ 5​​ And the sons of the prophets who [were] at Jericho approached Elisha and said to him, "Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?" And he answered, "Yes, I know;​​ be still."

<chashah> to hush or keep quiet:--hold peace, keep silence, be silent, (be) still.

Elisha was totally aware that God had plans for Elijah. ​​ Only Enoch had been taken up to heaven in the same manner without a physical death. ​​ Others wanted to talk about it. ​​​​ As Elijah was making his rounds making his last visits, probably saying good bye,​​ Elisha was​​ being​​ questioned both at Bethel and again at Jericho. ​​​​ You can almost​​ hear​​ the prophets saying, ‘Oh my, you know what’s going on right, what are you going to do?’ or ‘Can you believe what’s going to happen?’ ​​​​ This must have been hard for Elisha. ​​ Consider, this was the one he had followed and walked through Jordan with. He learned from Elijah.​​ And​​ what​​ was​​ Elisha’s response​​ to the questions? ​​ Yes, I know;​​ be still. ​​​​ It’s okay. ​​ Trust. ​​ No need to get all worked up. ​​ Take a deep breath. ​​ Shhhhh. ​​​​ We know it was hard for Elisha to say farewell to his friend and mentor,​​ 2Ki 2:12 And Elisha saw [it] and cried out, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" And he saw him no more. Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces,​​ but he gives us a great example of trusting God for His plan. ​​ What did he ask? ​​ For God’s blessing to be upon him. ​​ 2Ki 2:9​​ Now it came about when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." And Elisha said, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me."​​ Not for God to change the plan. ​​​​ Be still. ​​​​ Hold your peace. ​​ Be silent. ​​ Trust.

Do we accept God’s plan? ​​ Choose to not question even if it seems ‘out of this world’ impossible? ​​ Even when we know it will cause pain through loss?

Turn to Nehemiah. ​​ Ne 8:11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ​​​​ We see the Levites repeating to those who could not hear Nehemiah to lay aside their​​ worry, their pain, their anger, displeasure,​​ and​​ grievances. ​​ Anything that was a distraction from worship. ​​ Be still. ​​​​ Right now, be still. ​​ For a time, be still.

<hacah>​​ to hush:--hold peace (tongue), (keep) silence, be silent, still.

When I read the above definition, I immediately thought to the struggle I had in keeping my talk silent. ​​ Some of us feel uncomfortable with​​ silence​​ when we’re with others or we feel there should be a conversation developing. ​​ Learning to be okay with ​​ unresponsiveness and not feeling the need to ‘fill in the gaps’ has been an incredible tool God has taught me in improving my listening and understanding of others. ​​ Silence is good. ​​ It gives us time to digest words said earlier. ​​ It gives us time to think. ​​ It gives others time to think. ​​ Try it! ​​ Stop talking and​​ be still.

Are we able to put our cares aside as we come before the Lord in worship and prayer? ​​ Do the concerns on our heart shadow our ability to fully rejoice in Him? ​​​​ Can we rest in His holiness?

Ps 4:4 Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and​​ be still. Selah.

<damam>​​ to be dumb; by implication, to be astonished, to stop; also to perish:--cease, be cut down (off), forbear, hold peace, quiet self, rest, be silent, keep (put to) silence, be (stand) still, tarry, wait.

Read the first five verses​​ of this Psalm. ​​ Hear David’s call to God for his own safety, for the concern of others and then his trust in knowing God hears him and finally his response to wait. ​​ Be still.

Ps 4:1-5​​ (For the choir director; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.) Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! Thou hast​​ relieved me in my distress; be gracious to me and hear my prayer.​​ 2​​ O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? [How long] will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.​​ 3​​ But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; the LORD hears when I call to Him.​​ 4​​ Tremble, and do not sin; meditate in your heart upon your bed, and​​ be still. Selah.​​ 5​​ Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD.

Can we focus on the amazing wonder of God, quiet our heart and trust in His plan and care for all things? ​​​​ 

Hush. ​​​​ Keep quiet. ​​​​ Hold your peace. ​​​​ Be silent. ​​​​ Cease speaking. ​​​​ Be astonished. ​​​​ Stop. ​​​​ Quiet your heart. ​​​​ Rest. ​​​​ Wait. ​​​​ Be still.

Big Match Tonight: Cerebral vs. Emotion. Don’t miss this!

Truth: because we are weak, we are unable to respond perfectly and accurately in regards to our feelings. So while emotions have a part in our lives, it is better to act upon knowledge – the facts we possess to be true and right and honest and holy.

The gloves are laced, the sounding bell rings and the fight of the year begins! In one corner, we have Cerebral. Solid and calculated in his reactions.  In the opposite corner we have Emotion. Quick, yet sporadic and abrupt in his thinking and judgment. The first to make a move is Emotion. He shows aggression yet he is ineffective. As he throws a punch into his opponent without thinking, Cerebral places a careful aim to Emotion’s foolhardiness. The punch hits its mark! Cerebral is clearly in control of his action. Emotion is instantly down wondering what happened. The judges’ unanimous decision declares Cerebral the winner. Here’s the news headline: While Emotion was quick to react first, the careful knowledge applied by Cerebral proves to be no match!

Several days ago, the word-of–the-day on dictionary.com was cerebral. Interesting word isn’t it? The definition given is, “involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct”. The listed synonym for cerebral is intellectual. I was immediately reminded how important it is to approach life circumstances with knowledge and intelligence rather than with feelings and emotions.

The church I attend is largely made up of ‘cerebral’ thinkers! This is because aerospace is a main employment venue in our valley. Think problem solvers and fact collectors; using known results and developing new statistics. The outcome of this approach is carefully planned testing of ideas. Knowledge and intelligence applied, effects outcome that can be repeated. This way of thinking is void of emotional experience.  It has to be in order to prove comparable data.

Consider.  Gather a few dozen people in a room. Present the same scenario to each. Then, without ground rules or written data, ask how each might react to the circumstance layed out before them. This is like asking a few dozen people what they think about something!!  Avoid it, plain and simple.  Why?  It leads to confusion.  However, do the same thing with a list of facts and proven results and the answers will have more commonality.  This is because the basis for the reaction is built more upon proven results and knowledge than emotion.

Should we then be void of feelings? Are emotions bad?

I sure hope not! I love the wonderful feeling of my grandchildren holding my hand or wanting to snuggle.  I am happy when they walk in the door and run to me calling my name ready to give me a hug!  We’re talking downright warm fuzzy in the heart feelings!  I treasure the compassionate hug from my husband at the end of a long, trying day.  I seek the touch of comfort from a friend when I’m hurt or sad.

So am I contradicting myself?  I don’t think so.  God gave us feelings and emotions so there must be a place for them.  God shows His feelings towards different circumstances.  Jesus, on earth as the perfect man/God, felt emotion. The shortest verse in the Bible says “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).  Jesus shed tears. That’s emotion.  Strong feelings from those who followed God are also recorded in the Bible.

God is love. He is the personification of love. The originator of love.  Love, <agape>, is an affection.  To have affection for someone is to have a positive feeling of liking for them, to have a fondness for them, tenderness, warm-heartedness.  The Gospel is based on God’s love.  God’s perfect love.

Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life”.

We read in the Bible that God is love but He also showed anger.  WordWeb characterizes anger as a strong emotion.

2Ch 28:9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army which came to Samaria and said to them, “Behold, because the LORD, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, He has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has even reached heaven”.  God caused the slaying of thousands because they were acting in ways against Him. This is a display of His perfect righteousness.

What’s the difference between our response to emotions and God’s actions towards emotions?

Perfection.  Job 5:2 says, “For vexation slays the foolish man, and anger kills the simple”.  Man is both foolish and simple in comparison to God.  Not many of us would deny that. The foolish man is destroyed by anger because it is rooted in a depraved soul.  The foolish man is led away in lust when presented with feelings of love unhindered by intelligence.  The foolish man is devoid of good sense or judgment. The simple man is child-like. Not in an innocent sort of way, but rather, in lacking the mental capacity to see things clearly. He acts or responds before thinking upon or considering the consequences.

What can we say then? Perhaps it is not the actual feelings or emotions we have that are bad, but how we act upon those emotions.  It’s what we do with emotions.  How much credence do we give our feelings?

Truth: because we are weak, we are unable to respond perfectly and accurately in regards to our feelings.  So while emotions have a part in our lives,  it is better to act upon knowledge – the facts we possess to be true and right and honest and holy.

Largely, action driven by emotion is immediate.  Action driven by knowledge takes time to sort through  facts,  consider details and seek wise counsel.

People get angry.  Anger in man often causes one to hold a grudge against another. Anger in the wrong hands of flawed judgment leads to nothing good.
Ps 55:1-3  Give ear to my prayer, O God; and do not hide Thyself from my supplication. 2 Give heed to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the pressure of the wicked; for they bring down trouble upon me, and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
Ps 37:8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
On the flip side, perfect righteousness leads to perfect anger and judgment. Only God qualifies perfection.
Mt 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

We are to attain to God’s perfection, strive towards it. To do this, we must follow His example.  It is necessary to adhere to what He says.  We are to look to His word in all things, including the handling of emotion and feelings.  We should strive to become more cerebral in regards to our actions and responses.

Jas 1:25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the [law] of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.

Which gloves will you lace up and wear? The ones marked Cerebral or Emotion?

The Delusion of a Deserved Soul

It’s so common to separate people into categories and then point out what’s wrong with thinking that is not in agreement with your own. Aren’t we all desiring of kindness, generosity, and acceptance from others?

After several minutes of watching the latest news on the devastation of hurricanes in Texas, the direct hit over several Caribbean Islands, and soon to make landfall in Florida, two responses of those affected kept repeating themselves.
One type of response was clearly thankfulness for survival, and the other a resentment to the change in upcoming plans. People upset because airports have cancelled flights due to dangerous conditions and damage. Tempers flaring because rooms are full at hotels. Then, you have the ones who are just thankful to be alive and already out there helping to make right a catastrophe.
The human mind. So capable of selfishness; so capable of generosity. It seems so many of us have forgotten what we truly deserve. Or at least, we don’t address it. What do we deserve? The quick answer is ‘nothing, we deserve nothing’. The right answer is death, we deserve physical and spiritual death.
It’s so common to separate people into categories and then point out what’s wrong with thinking that is not in agreement with your own. Aren’t we all desiring of kindness, generosity, and acceptance from others? The Bible says we are created in God’s own image. Who came along and decided in man’s eyes what that image should look like?
Selfish thinking puts me first. Above all others, on the throne in my soul. It sometimes even treads over others to build our precious kingdom of self filled with imaginative rights to protect. Selfishness is being concerned chiefly or exclusively with oneself. It’s looking to your own advantage while choosing to remain unconcerned about others. Is that how you want to be described? Are you delusional with the belief that all existence centers on you for your benefit? What do you believe you deserve?
Re 3:17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,
Le 19:18 ‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.
I wonder what would happen if complaints about what we lost, or not getting what we think is due, was looked at with an eye of understanding, thankfulness and love.
People are suffering because of nature’s fury. How important are your plans that anger is permissible when flights are cancelled or cruises are shortened or hotels are full – all as a result of something we can’t control? If we have the mindset that these things are undeserved, but rather gifts, we may find ourselves more concerned about loving others and looking to their needs.