What If Somebody Kicks You When You're Down?
There isn’t a single person reading these words who hasn’t been hurt by someone else. All of us can remember someone who planned something, said something, or did something ugly or unfair to us.
We live in angry times. We see anger expressed most every day: driving on the highway, watching a drama on TV, or hearing the news. Some of us grew up in an angry home, where conflict never resolved and it escalated to anger. Others of us heard anger from the pulpit each week.
Even though the Bible never calls anger a sin, per se...often the way we express anger can be sinful. Scripture has a lot to say about anger, including how best to defuse our own anger as well as someone else’s—which shows that it can be done! Learning what’s behind our anger helps us unlock underlying emotions. And when the fear of anger is removed from a relationship, the freedom to work through conflict can produce immense satisfaction and understanding.
Let the Lord use these resources to help move your relationships toward unity as you seek to train this powerful emotion.
There isn’t a single person reading these words who hasn’t been hurt by someone else. All of us can remember someone who planned something, said something, or did something ugly or unfair to us.
In this message, we will meet a man in Scripture whom you’ve probably never met. Gehazi was once a longtime, trusted servant of the prophet Elisha. One tragic day all that changed…the day he replaced his diligence with deceit.
True wisdom originates from outside our rashly impulsive natures. Wisdom comes from God Himself—straight from His heart...through His Word...to where we live.
Do whatever you can to be at peace with all those around you. Practice forgiveness. Be helpful. Do little things, such as write letters of encouragement, or make a phone call or two.
Once the still, small voice of God nudged those words into my mind and heart I knew my loitering with my grudge must come to an end.
Conflict per se isn't necessarily bad. But when conflict is rooted in sin and self-centredness, or resolved in sinful ways then it will be unhealthy and destructive.
On this our 29th anniversary, we've been reflecting on the words theologian Rod Stewart sings, “I wish that I knew what I know now when I was younger.” Here are a few things we know now.
Conflict per se isn't necessarily bad. But we have a problem when conflict stems from, is expressed with, or remains unresolved, because of sinful motives, attitudes, or actions.
Part of our created humanness is that we form natural emotional and psychological attachments to people and things. But when lose them—such as in the death of a loved one—we experience the process of grief.
When we discipline our children our words often speak louder than our actions. Yes, the rod stings and can hurt. But the wounds our words leave behind last far longer than any physical discomfort our children experience.