Avoid Anger's Message – Ask God

Anger and fear are close companions. Both deliver the same message, “Fight or take flight.” When the message is “fight”, it may mean stand your ground, take offensive action either physically or verbally. An immediate adrenaline rush gives strength, courage and the ability to think faster for defending and protecting oneself.

Anger’s message may be to “take flight” to avoid conflict and harm. Jacob ran away from his brother to escape Esau’s intention to kill him. Jacob was possibly resentful and angry with his mother for talking him into deceiving his brother. He possibly felt resentful of Esau for being his father's favorite.

While anger and fear are inescapable, both can be managed in healthy, productive ways to prevent harm and hurt from developing in relationships. The first step is to admit these feelings exist. Then ask God for wisdom so a safe and healthy resolution can be forthcoming. Ask God for courage to follow his will and plan.  

Voices of Anger

Anger is not as bad an emotion as some people believe. Those persons whose anger has been terrifying and harmful certainly have the right to fear it in themselves and others. Listen, however, as Nehemiah characterizes God's anger. "You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love." God's anger is also patient.

Our anger can be impatient, demanding and controlling. When Jacob's father-in-law Laban learned Jacob had packed up everything and left without saying goodbye, he was furious. For days he pursued Jacob before catching up. However, God warned Laban before he encountered Jacob to "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." 

 Laban’s anger had not escalated into rage, so he was able to hear God's warning. God’s lesson for us is to listen to other voices rather than the voice of anger. God’s voice of patience and compassion needs to be heard to prevent anger’s voice of hurt, harm and alienation from taking control.

Change Needed? Face It and Act Today!

When life gets out of control, the most common response is anger because of the loss of personal power. When Jacob marshaled all his courage, gathered his family and set out for his homeland, his father-in-law Laban was fit to be tied. Jacob feared his father-in-law would take possession of all he owned, including his wives and children. 

 

          Jacob could never stand up to his father-in-law, so resentment and anger had to be suppressed. We often resent a person's ability to take charge, to be in control and dominate a situation. So suppressing anger is one way to manage it, and we do so by pretending that it doesn't exist or that whatever caused it is of no importance. 

          Everyone is capable of anger, but who can express it in beneficial ways? We're often afraid of anger, even our own. We feel angry when something has gone awry, when changes need to be made but we’re fearful of making the needed changes. “Never let the sun go down on your anger” means facing needed change and acting on it.

Gifts from God ~ Hope and Jesus' Love

What should be our hope on this Christmas Day as we celebrate God’s demonstration of love for us through Christ Jesus? The Gospel hymn makes it clear: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

God never forgets you regardless of your need for hope and recovery. His love is constant, so your hope comes from God as Jeremiah 29: 12-13 promises. “You will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” HOPE through the LOVE of CHRIST JESUS is God’s gift to you , so God bless you on this Christmas day!  

Gifts from God ~ Hope and Joy

Where do we find hope in a world filled with uncertainty and divisiveness?  Hope cannot be found in politicians or political creeds, for these are unstable. We want the world to be safe and trustworthy, but it continues to disappoint, as it seems to be in opposition to God’s love and mercy.

We must not forget that the world was created by God’s love or that he gave Jesus as a sacrifice for all mankind. HOPE and JOY are found in God’s word. John 3:17 is reassuring. “For God did not send Jesus His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” So be hopeful and joyful in what God has done. God bless you, and Merry Christmas! 

Gifts from God ~ Hope, Patience and Faith

We don’t often recover quickly from disaster or trauma or in ways we believe to be reasonable. Physical and emotional wounds heal differently and in a time frame that might be unpredictable. Recovery from grief and sorrow depends on our perception and response to what has been lost or taken from us.

  

God’s word offers wonderful instructions for coping with an uncertain future. Listen for a moment to God’s way to celebrate his gift of Christ Jesus. “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation and faithful in prayer.”  Please receive these gifts of HOPE, PATIENCE and FAITH, for you are blessed with God’s love. Merry Christmas!

  

  

Gifts from God ~ Hope and Peace

Hope is a wonderful gift to receive, especially when the moment is dark and the future obscure. Hope is made possible by even the smallest degree of trust that whatever is encountered, God’s presence will ensure all things work together for our good. God’s gift of hope generates peace for the present moment and for the future.

Wounds inflicted to your heart and soul seek recovery and healing. Hope made possible by your faith believes God will heal those wounds. His purpose in sending Christ Jesus was not only to save you but to provide grace and mercy for every situation. God’s gifts of HOPE and PEACE are for you to receive and cherish.  Merry Christmas and God bless you!  

Gifts from God ~ Hope and Faith

Sixteen months after Hurricane Harvey, recovery is still in process, maybe not so much from the physical aspect of the disaster, but from emotional stress caused by grief and uncertainty. We do our best to avoid trials and struggles by pretending or wishing they did not exist or promising to address the issue later.

 
    
             Even as we’re forced to face problems, God promises you hope for now and the future. It’s possible to rejoice when facing struggles by realizing God is present to help and sustain you. As you receive God’s gifts of FAITH and HOPE, be assured His provisions are adequate. God bless you with hope as you celebrate His gift of Christ Jesus. Merry Christmas! 

Facing God's Reality

When it was time for Jacob to return to his homeland, he packed up and left his father-in-law’s home by making a hasty retreat in the middle of the night. Jacob feared his father-in-law, who was self-centered, controlling and manipulative. Leah and Rachel could not trust their father to be fair and respectful.

  

When Laban heard of their departure, he was sad and angry. He had been outwitted, deceived and abandoned. Laban refused to ask himself, "What did I do to cause this response from my daughters and son-in-law?" Self-examination is crucial to healthy relationships. Lamentations 3:40 advises, "Let us examine our ways and test them."

Refusal to engage in self-examination leads to blaming others for our pain and problems. After learning of Jacob’s departure, Laban set out to bring them back, but God had other plans. Laban had to face reality. He had lost control of Jacob and his family. Now he was forced to face himself and the reality of God’s power, mercy and love.

A Dreamer and His Redeemer

Jacob's father-in-law was determined to keep him dependent. After twenty years Jacob finally obtained enough wealth to follow God’s command to return to his homeland. Jacob's future was in God's hands, but still he managed to create a crisis where only by God's intervention could he be rescued.

          God was at work in Jacob’s life to help him build a bridge to faith in Himself, a God who speaks and does what he says. God spoke to Jacob in dreams and through angels to get his attention. He wanted Jacob to know he was a God who meant business, a God who loved and cared for him and would protect him.

          God told Jacob to "Go back to the land of your father and I will be with you." Still Jacob could not do what God told him without provocation or deception. His wife Rachel followed Jacob’s lead and stole her father's household gods to take on the journey. However, God will never permit deception to go unnoticed because it’s sinful. God’s purpose is to redeem, to set free from bondage all who are willing to be set free. 

Faith: A Bridge to Survival

Jacob had a significant dream when he was running for his life. God promised him he would protect him, bless him, and bring him back to his homeland. Jacob believed God, which gave him confidence to endure the hard times that were to come his way. The power of faith God entrusted to Jacob built a bridge that guaranteed his survival.

Believing in your heart and mind that God is you friend, your redeemer and protector encourages a resilience that withstands defeat.  Laban, Jacob's father-in-law, changed his wages ten times over twenty years.  Each time they agreed on a wage Laban changed the rules, so Jacob was always indebted to him.

Jacob was assured of God’s faithfulness when in his dream God reminded him, "I am the God of Bethel where you built an altar and anointed it with oil in reverence to me and where you made vows to me. Now leave this land and return to your homeland.” God doesn't overlook our flaws, but sin’s penalty is superseded by his grace, his unmerited pardon, and his mercy.

Becoming a Person of Faith

When Jacob left his home to escape the wrath of his brother Esau, his work habits would change dramatically though he would remain a manipulator. For twenty years he managed his father-in-law’s livestock. Now he was ready to make the six hundred-mile trek back home, but he expected to be rewarded for those twenty years of hard work.

As he prepared to leave, he planned to swindle his father-in-law and felt justified to do so. For twenty years he had developed the skill of breeding livestock and had used that skill for his benefit. He proposed to take every specifically colored animal with him back to his homeland as payment for his labor.

Jacob’s plan was to outwit his father-in-law, who had taken advantage of his management skills for twenty years. However, God had placed Jacob in a position where he would be manipulated for someone else's benefit. God’s purpose for Jacob was for him to change, to grow and become a man of faith so he could be a true blessing to others.

Make Me a Blessing to God and Others

Living life so you can be a blessing to others is a treasure of great value. Listen to the prayer of Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4:9 as he asks God for such a blessing. "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me to keep me from evil, so that I might not cause pain to others."

 

Jacob had been a source of pain to his family of origin. Following his forced exodus from his home, he had spent twenty years working for his father-in-law. Perhaps he had matured by facing the responsibilities of work, two wives, two surrogate wives, eleven sons and one daughter.

Jacob would prove to be a blessing to his father-in-law, yet the time came when he was ready to face his past so he could move forward with his life.  Perhaps God communicated to him, "I have plans for you, so get your mind focused on what lies ahead." Jacob's future included being a blessing to God. Is God nudging you onward so you can be a blessing to Him and others?

From the Known to the Unknown

Moving from the known to the unknown takes determination and courage. God asked Abraham to leave all that was familiar and go to a place He would reveal to him as he was on his way. What would you think and feel if God were to ask you to embark on such an outrageous journey at this time in your life?

 

Rare is the person who wants to stay home indefinitely. As a late adolescent, I had it in my heart to get as far away as possible from the small farming community where I grew up. I did not hate my family or community; I just needed to leave. My parents thought this was the worst decision I could possibly make, but it helped me mature and discover God’s purpose for me.

Jacob could have lived out his life in Haran with his father-in-law, but God's plan meant moving from the known to the unknown. God calls us to make this step for a significant purpose. The challenges are great and demand faith; yet God, without exception, equips us with hope and faith for making the journey.

Being a Blessing & Being Blessed

Chapters twenty-nine and thirty of Genesis list the birth order of twelve of Jacob’s thirteen children. Leah gave birth to six boys and one girl. Leah's maidservant Zilpah gave birth to two more sons while Rachel's maidservant Bilhah also had two sons. Rachel had one son she named Joseph.

The jealousy Rachel had for Leah ended with the birth of Joseph. Later Rachel would die immediately after giving birth to Benjamin. Twenty years had passed since Jacob came to live with his uncle. Now it was time to return home and make peace with his brother Esau. He knew that making amends for his deceitful dealings with his brother was a necessity.

Jacob was a source of blessing to his father-in-law by giving him thirteen grandchildren and by increasing his wealth many times over. Of course, the father-in-law wanted Jacob to stay with him because he was such a blessing. The lesson to learn from Jacob’s experience is that as you serve and bless others, God will bless you.

From Jealousy to Generosity

Even the noblest person is subject to jealousy when circumstances become threatening. To be generous and noble toward someone who is the object of jealousy requires sincere acts of generosity to diminish its power. Jealousy is shameful because its objective is another's misery, which violates God’s law to love one another.

          The motivation for overcoming jealousy and envy is to avoid thoughts and acts of malice. Malice is a state of mind that seeks pain, suffering and injury to others. These behaviors result in guilt, and guilt demands pardon and forgiveness. 

          To be liberated from jealousy and envy requires a process of being made new spiritually in one's mind. Only as you permit your mind to be transformed by the saving power of Christ Jesus can you experience being made new. The Apostle Paul instructed us to be imitators of Christ Jesus, meaning to give ourselves to others as Jesus gave himself up for us.