March 15
Num 22:21-23:30 | PS 58:1-11 | Prov 11:12-13 | Luke 1:57-80
A couple of years ago I was involved in a contract dispute, I felt my anger rising. The tone of the discussion got louder, and voices were raised. I felt then that I was technically right, and still do, but in my anger I forgot that which is most important. I forgot that I am to be Christ's representative on earth. The one that I was arguing with is a close friend, but he has not accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and Savior. It took cooling off at home, before arriving at this realization. The true question is not whether I won my point, but if I properly represented my Savior. The truth is I failed that day. How many times on the road does rage consume drivers. One is cut off. Another is going too slowly in the "fast" lane. Another turns without using the blinker. How often does the driver feel he now has the right to race and pull alongside to let that person know how wrong he/she was. Once going through a confusing intersection in Jamesburg, I was crawling through when a large red pick up truck raced alongside me. Her fingers were flying at me and every other word was a profanity. In her anger she was blinded. But I rolled down my window and smiled and waved my hand. It was only then that she noticed that I was the doctor who delivered her baby only three weeks prior. Way too often Christians throw the term "righteous anger" around. We should be very careful that we are using this properly. This term is not appropriately applied when a God centered person becomes angry at some worldly event, but when our God is being misrepresented. More often than not we attempt to justify our anger. But in truth, it is rarely excusable.
Balaam, the prophet, initially followed the will of God, and refused to go with the men to King Balak in Numbers 22:14. But when the men come a second time, he asks God again, though God already clearly told him not to go the first time. God then allows him to go. Realize there is a difference between the perfect will of God and the permissive will of God. God allowed Balaam to go, because once the offer was increased he knew that Balaam would never refuse. On the way to Moab, three times the prophet's donkey sees the Angel of the Lord blocking her path with HIs sword drawn (The Angel of the Lord, as opposed to an angel of the Lord is a Christophany or an Old Testament appearance of Jesus). Three times the donkey backs down and in the process hurts Balaam. We then see the level of blindness that can occur in the face of anger as we pick up the dialogue between Balaam and his donkey in Numbers 22:28-33, "Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” So the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden, ever since I became yours, to this day? Was I ever disposed to do this to you?” And he said, “No.” Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the Angel of the Lord standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand; and he bowed his head and fell flat on his face. And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”" Realize how blind his anger was. Rather than being blown away that his donkey was actually talking, he was actually having an argument with her.
What are you angry about today? Are you not getting your way? Are you frustrated that others simply can't or won't see your point? Anger is rarely justifiable and more often than not blinds us. Our example is Jesus Christ. The only perfect Man to walk the Earth. He was mocked, misrepresented, beaten, and even killed unjustly. Yet anger was not seen. In fact the only times you witnessed His anger was when the Temple was being misused in an ungodly manner, and over the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who were leading the people astray. These are examples of righteous anger. Not only is Jesus our example, but we are His representative. If we allow ourselves to be consumed by the things of this world we lose sight of who we are and we will be poor and ineffective ambassadors for our King. Jesus clearly described His ministry in Matthew 4:17, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”" We must never forget that is our commission. It is not about earthly battles, but eternal destination. There will always be a struggle between our flesh and the Spirit. More times than not, anger is feeding the flesh. May we abide in Him, remember this, and effectively represent Him to a world who largely is ignorant about Him.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: