Alcoholics Anonymous has a phrase they use a lot. "When you're sick and tired of being sick and tired..." What they mean is when you've had enough of asking why. When you've had enough of playing the blame game. Once you've gotten tired of doing everything your way and falling on your face. After you've had enough of never getting any answers and never getting ahead, you'll finally do something about your life. I know. That's exactly what it took for me.
Another saying AA has is, "You've never had enough of the trash until you reach your rock bottom." Brothers, only you know where that bottom is.
You see God doesn't want us mad at Him because He's our father. He loves us each uniquely, but equally, regardless of who we are, what race we are, what sex we are or what we may have done. Our Father stands ready to release us from our indiscretions including anger. because He's already paid the price for our lives. Romans 6, verse 23, (NKJV),"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Jesus paid the price. But God will never force us to accept Him. It's always our choice right up to the end when it's too late.
When we finally reach our "rock bottom," perhaps after a night of drunkenness or drugs, after a jail term, or following a car accident, or the death of a friend or loved one, whatever it takes, we finally cry out. God, the God of the Bible, is there to answer. What do we do with the anger we have harbored at Him for so long? We confess it as sin.
You see dear brothers, when we hold anger at someone (and like it or not, God is another personage) we are calling that one into judgment. And let me pose this to you. Who are we that we should judge God? Of course we can continue to be angry at God which will lead to bitterness. And bitterness ultimately leads to rejection. Imagine an anger so strong that we bitterly reject someone; anyone. That's precisely what Cain did just before he killed his brother Able. Cain became so angry at not measuring up to a standard set by God, that Cain himself chose to violate, that when he saw Able's offering honored and accepted by God for adhereing to the standard, Cain became enraged. He then became bitter toward his brother and God. But since Cain couldn't lash out at God, he killed his brother Able.
In essence, we kill God with our anger. We kill Him in us by rejecting Him from our lives. We murder the love He has for us and fill the place in our hearts for God with more anger and bitterness. Because there is no room for God, the anger and bitterness grow, then begin to spill over into our everyday lives and onto co-workers, employees, strangers, neighbors, friends and our family. But most significantly damaged are our children and our spouses. (See Romans Ch. 1, vv. 21 to 32)
Again, God wants us whole; complete and well. He wants to be a part of our lives and for us to be a part of His life. He has a purpose and hope for each of us. It is our responsibilty to renounce anger by renouncing it as sin. Ask God to forgive us and invite Him into our hearts as Savior and as Lord to be all that Savior implies and everything that Lord implies. We must choose to allow God by his Holy Spirit and appointed ministers to teach us and mature us, "until we all reach the unity of the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature..." Ephesians 4, verse 13 (NKJV).
I cannot stress enough that true Christianity goes beyond denomination dogma. That is not to say a denomination is bad or wrong. Denominations of Christian faith give us foundation. But Christianity is about relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ. It is about forgiveness and accepting the free gift of God's grace and dealing with our personal life issues on a daily basis through prayer, study of the Bible and making the choices necessary to correct our lives by listening to God as he speaks to us through His Word (the Bible) and in prayer, and through appointed leaders such as pastors.
If this describes you or you have questions, I invite you to contact me at:
Blessings to all,
Frank
