How Can We Manage Hurt Feelings, Jealousy, and Anger?

It’s normal to feel sympathy for someone in trouble. “Except for God’s grace, that could be me.” So we might feel sorry for Cain, who lured his brother into a field to murder him. Premeditated murder like this was motivated by a brother's feeling that he could not measure up to his younger sibling’s achievements.

Abel brought the best part of what he had, without hesitation, as an offering to God. Genesis 4:3 tells us Cain brought some fruit of the soil as an offering. So what was the problem with his offering? Perhaps it was like an afterthought, given without genuine or sincere commitment or love for God.

Somewhere along the journey of life, rejection or disfavor is sure to be experienced. Cain’s choice was choosing jealousy rather than questioning his own behavior and then changing his attitude. He could have apologized to God for his disturbed attitude concerning his offering, but he refused. God offers forgiveness to those who sincerely seek it.  

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Seek God while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

~Isaiah 55:6-7 The Message

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What Can Failure Teach Us?

Failure at some level will be experienced by everyone. Recovery prompts us to move forward and correct what contributed to the adversity we experienced. While failure gives temptation an opportunity to take advantage of our imperfections, it can be a strong signal that changes need to be made in our thinking patterns and behaviors.

If we deny that changes are required, then learning valuable lessons from failures will be sacrificed. Failure is an astute teacher when we are willing to face the truth, and it is forgivable when accompanied by a repentant attitude and commitment to make amends, as God prompts us to do.

Remember the cliché, “When at first you don’t succeed, try, and try again.” Taking responsibility for disappointment opens the door for a new beginning which God will provide. Ask him for wisdom to grasp what he offers you. This enables you to press onward toward God’s high calling. The Lord helps those who earnestly seek him. Do that now.          

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Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call upon him now while he is near. Let [people] cast off their wicked deeds, let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy upon them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon!

~Isaiah 55:6-7 The Living Bible

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Temptation's False Assurances

It's within human nature to be shoved up against the cutting edge of temptation. The allurement to what’s forbidden harasses us to step outside our moral and spiritual boundaries. Adam and Eve were tempted to pursue what was forbidden, and the temptation blinded them to the truth of God's word.

Imagine Adam and Eve thinking, "Surely there isn’t anything wrong with eating this one piece of fruit." How many have fallen into temptation after consuming this type of logic and reasoning? Once you’ve submitted to temptation’s enticement and authority, your power to resist is cut away by false assurances.

Cutting-edge temptation is presented as beneficial and pleasing. However, falling into temptation leaves you wounded with grief and regret since a slice of your integrity has been discarded. Yet Jesus Christ invites you to seek his redemptive love, for it will cleanse your heart and soul. Sin’s consequences cannot compete with faith that clings to God’s love and forgiveness.  

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Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near. Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.  

~Isaiah 55:6-7 Good News Bible

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Secret, Sinful Mindset? Seek God's Restoration

Children learn at an early age that secret keeping is a part of play. There are particular family secrets children are told to guard at all costs. It’s evident that some secrets can produce lasting negative consequences to family members. A number of secrets may be necessary for a family to keep functioning or for personal well-being.

Everyone has unacceptable secret thoughts that are kept active because they’re enjoyed. It's analogous to having an argument with another person, only in your thoughts. Negative self-talk may be created by anger or bitterness but restrained from being verbalized.

Psalm 90:8 is clear: It’s impossible to hide your thoughts from God. As creator, he knows your thoughts can be harmful emotionally even when there are no social consequences. Secret sinful thoughts can become a hope-crusher when permitted to remain unconfessed and unforgiven. So seek God while he may be found, and permit him to restore your soul and heal your infirmities.

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You have set our sins in front of you. You have set our secret sins in the light of your presence.

~Psalm 90:8 God’s Word Translation

Seek God while he’s to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to God, who is merciful, come back to our God who is lavish with forgiveness.  

~Isaiah 55:6-7 The Message

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Pardoned - Not Paroled

Whenever the voice of conscience prods a person to seek forgiveness and there’s a positive response to that nudging, that individual has turned from resistance to compliance. Resistance is clothed in anger and fear, while compliance is wrapped in faith and hope. God created your conscience to be a light for moral and spiritual choices.  

Saying yes to your conscience is saying yes to God and life.  When the Prodigal Son came home with a repentant attitude, his forgiving father proclaimed with joy, "My son was lost and is now found, was dead, but is now alive."  Repentance that marshals in forgiveness liberates the burdened heart to explore life free from the chains of guilt and sorrow.

When God forgives you, he doesn't put you on parole to test your rehabilitation. Instead, he has pardoned you, which means you are no longer held accountable to God for previous sins - although society will hold you accountable. Forgiveness promises a pardon for past sins, so you can fulfill God’s future for yourself.  

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Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

~Isaiah 55:6-7 New International Version

But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 
~Psalm 130:4 New International Version

Feel Shame? Don't Shift the Blame

There are various of ways to pursue forgiveness. One is to seek reconciliation immediately with little thought given to the seriousness of your hurtful behavior. This approach quickly seeks to diminish anger and hurt feelings that the wounded person experienced.

The other approach is to wait patiently for the perfect time when the offended person is receptive to your appeal to be forgiven. The issue here is to prevent conflict from erupting that might cause more hurt feelings. Effective forgiveness must include a willingness to assume full responsibility for hurtful behavior without shifting blame to someone else.

Shame and guilt are diminished as seeking forgiveness focuses on making amends for what the other person endured by your offending words or behavior. It’s easy to justify hurtful behavior by blaming others, but this must be resisted. If you seek forgiveness from others in the strength of the grace and mercy God has shown you, peace that passes all understanding can be yours. Try it.  

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Turn to the Lord and pray to him, now that he is near. Let the wicked leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. Let them turn to the Lord, our God; he is merciful and quick to forgive.

~Isaiah 55:6-7 Good News Bible

In everything you do, you are kind and faithful to everyone who keeps our agreement with you. Be true to your name, Lord, by forgiving each one of my terrible sins.

~Psalm 25:10-11 Contemporary English Version