McCoy’s Stand

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I can honestly say that I am proud to be called a Longhorn fan after last night’s game against Alabama.  Yes there is a level of disappointment and frustration with the loss.  Yes I would have loved to see Colt McCoy play the entire game.  I would have been less frustrated if some of the penalties that were called or not called been different.  No one will ever know what would have happened if McCoy would not have gotten hurt, the outcome might have been the very same.

One of the things that made me proud last night was the fact that there was no quit in the team.  Even though their number one offensive producer was no longer on the field, the team kept playing.  Yes, there were some major mistakes and dropped passes, but everyone was still playing with pride.

Another thing that made me proud was the attitude that McCoy had once he came to the sideline.  He was as involved in the game as he could be.  He was extremely optimistic and supportive of his backup, Gilbert.  He was talking with the coaches and helping call the plays.  He was being a team leader even though he was not on the field.

Finally, McCoy took his stand (as he always has) for his relationship with God through Christ.  He showed that he is a man of faith, knowing that there are more important aspects of life than that on the football field.  What courage he showed at the conclusion of the game as he was being interviewed.  He also showed great sportsmanship as he congratulated the Alabama team and his backup.  He made the interview about what was important to him – Being Christ-like!!

I know that there are other college athletes that are good representatives of Christ and I applaud them as well.  But today, I applaud Colt McCoy of standing up for his beliefs in a very difficult time in his life.  I thank God for his testimony and his willingness to share his faith on the world stage.

Being Found Guilty

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My favorite television programming has to be shows such as Bones, NCIS and Numbers.  I enjoy watching how the characters can take certain aspects of the crime scene and decide how the crime took place and who committed the crime.  The investigators look at many different aspects and angles of the situation so they can come to the correct conclusion.  These investigators are looking for the minutest detail that might help with the final determination of the facts of each case.  The same was true in the movie, Sherlock Holmes.  I will not go into the details of the movie, in case you have not seen it, but Holmes finds follows clues that the average person would be oblivious to.  Even his partner, Dr. Watson, does not see the same things that Holmes sees.  It truly creates a very intriguing movie.

While I am watching these programs or movies, I can get caught up with trying to solve the case with the investigators.  I also can get caught up with the sub-plots that are going on along the way of the show.  I want Bones and Boothe to get together.  I enjoy watching Tony and McGee going back and forth with their different pranks.  I love the quirkiness of Abby in her lab.  I even like the tension of the brothers working together to solve the crimes as their dad attempts to hold the family somewhat together.  Each episode adds to the different sub-plots which maintains the interest in the show.

I am not writing today so that you would become fans of the same type of programs that I spend my time watching.  The reason that I bring out these programs is that each one is based on finding the facts of a crime and the different ways each set of characters goes about doing that.  Charlie looks at numbers while others look for clues in the crime scene itself while others look at the body of the victim.  Some other programs attempt to re-create the thought patterns of the criminals in order to solve the crime.  Each one comes to a conclusion based on the facts found in the evidence.

I want us to think about the facts or the evidence of our lives.  I realize that only God will be our judge when it is all said and done.  I know that the only way for us to stand before our Judge is through His Son, our advocate.  But the Bible tells us that we are to be the salt of the earth as well as light to the world.  Are we?  How can we tell?

I know over the years I have had people come up to me and let me know that they had been watching me.  They would tell me that I had been an inspiration to them, even though I had no idea that anyone was paying attention to my life or how I was living my life.  I even had one lady stop me in the parking lot of a store and ask me if I was a Christian.  When I said “yes,” she told me that I was walking like one.  Now I am not bragging at this point.  I do not ever want anyone to see me, but I do want people to see what God is doing in me.  You see, just as in the programs on TV, the facts of our lives never lie.  Do we act according to God’s Word or do we act like everyone else?  Is it obvious that we are disciples of Jesus by the fruit that we bear?  The word disciple means to be a student or a learner, much like an apprentice.  Our apprenticeship with Christ should make us look more like Him in our everyday life.

Discipleship is anything that causes what is believed in the heart to have demonstrable consequences in our daily life. (Eugene Peterson)

I would encourage you today to take an inventory of your life.  Would you consider yourself to be a Christian?  How do other people see you?  Are the facts of your life enough to convict you as born-again believer in Christ?

Again, I know that God is the only judge that counts.  I just believe that we are to live our lives in such a way that others will be able to tell to whom we belong.

John 13:35 (NLT)
35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

John 15:8 (NLT)
8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

New Year’s Resolutions

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Every year at this time, I spend time reflecting on the previous year and then goal setting for the coming year.  I look at many different areas of my life; my spiritual, physical, financial, as well as relational areas of my life.  Many of the goals that I set last year have fallen to the wayside early on in the year.  Most of those goals fall into the physical category.  I start the year out with great aspirations concerning my health and physical well-being, but I allow that area to wane.  I always want to do better in every area of my life.  I want to be healthier than I was the previous year.  I want to be more responsible with my finances than the year before as well.  I want to have a deeper relationship with God and to reflect Him more clearly than I did.  I desire my relationship with my wife and children to be better and growing.  This exercise, to some is an exercise of futility, has provided me with at least some semblance of how I am progressing from year to year…Even if that semblance is more of a façade than an actual reality.

As I look at some things concerning 2009, I realize that I have pretty much treaded water in many areas of my life.  I still need to lose weight.  I still need to be more disciplined financially.  I have read more in 2009 than any other year, except maybe when I was in seminary.  I am actually finishing books now, which is always a good thing.  I believe that I have broadened the genres of books that I am reading as well.  My understanding of God continues to be stretched along with my faith in Him.  The more I learn about Him, the more I realize that I do not know that much about Him.  I continue to seek Him and the knowledge of Him so that I might reflect Him more.  Finally, my relationships with my wife and children are growing or at least changing.  I am learning how to live in an empty nest and learning to parent adult children.  All of these changes have challenged me because so much of this is different than when children are totally dependent on you as a parent.   I wonder how well I did on any of these relationships and areas of my life.  I do believe that some areas are better or stronger, while other areas of my life need a great deal of work.  Overall, 2009 was not as horrible for me as I have heard others say, but obviously it could have been better.

Now it is time to move to the goal setting for 2010.  I realize that if I actually write any of my goals, that I will be providing a level of accountability that I have never had before.  That probably would not be a bad thing as the right accountability helps keep me focused on where I am headed and the direction I need to be going in many areas of my life.  One of the obvious goals for 2010 is to lose weight and get healthy.  I have already started trying to eat better.  I have set some goals for an actual weight for the end of 2010 as well as pant sizes, etc.  I will not share those goals, but hopefully it will be apparent if I reach them or not.  I have also set some reading goals as well as some goals for my counseling ministry.  Making learning a priority in 2010 is a decision that will take time and effort on my part.  I never want to be guilty of stopping the learning process.  The more I am learning, the more I realize I need to learn.  The other areas of my life will be more difficult to share or even to measure.  In my relationship with God, does just praying more mean that I have a better fellowship with Him or that I am reflecting Him better?  Does reading the Bible more mean that I am maturing as a Christian?  Again, hopefully as you observe me or read my writings, you will notice the changes that God is making in me.  Finally, in the area of my family relationships I desire for them to grow and mature in a way that my family gives God glory.  I desire for us to be an example to others on how to have a godly family.  How will that be measured?  This too will have to be observed by others.

Why have I written this today?  Am I just trying to fill up space on my blog?  Am I just writing something to be writing?  I do not think so.  Many people have asked about setting goals or resolutions for each New Year.  I believe setting goals can be helpful to keep you on track.  Goals also measure your levels of success in different areas.  I desire to maintain a focus in 2010 that many times has faded in the past.  My prayer is writing this today is one way that will allow me to keep focused on what is important to me and not allow the mundane of each day to get in the way.

I have not reached all of my goals that I have set over the years.  I have reached several of them and I will continue to strive to reach my goals.  Have you set any goals for 2010?  Are you going to enlist any help in keeping you accountable in reaching your goals?  I would love to hear what helps you in reaching your goals and in keeping you focused through the completion of each goal.

Isaiah 40:29-31 (NASB)
29 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

Are We Consistent?

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I just read an article about Sandra Bullock as she played Leigh Anne Tuohy in the movie The Blind Side.  The article is located at http://bit.ly/4s38qX.  The article is very encouraging but also very convicting.  As Ms. Bullock points out that so many Christians say one thing and then live another.  She says that finding a Christian that lives out her faith and not just preach it was very refreshing.  Could this be the seed that needs to be planted in her life?  I do not know.  What I do know is that her sentiments about Christianity are not unique to her.  So many times I hear from people I am talking to that “I am just as good as so-and-so who is a member of your church so why do I need to become a Christian?”  When I hear statements like that, I get very disappointed and discouraged that we as Christians do not live the life we profess to have.

Before you think I am pointing fingers, I am having to examine my life today.  Am I consistent with my confession?  Do I show the joy of being a Christian?  Do I treat my wife and family with the love and respect that I teach in my office?  Am I a man of integrity in all aspects of my life?

Those are all good questions to ask yourself.  The main question that needs to be asked: “Is God pleased with who I am today?”  We spend a great deal of time trying to impress someone else.  Do we spend time giving God glory through our lifestyles?

The Bible encourages us: 5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT)

We do not need to say one thing than live another.  Probably, we are all guilty of that at some point.  We just do not to stay guilty.  Thank you Leigh Anne Tuohy for being a visible witness as well as a vocal one.

The Image in the Mirror

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Why is it so difficult to look at our own image in the mirror?  I mean, really taking a long look into the true self.  I realize that every morning when we are brushing our teeth, shaving (if male), putting on make-up (if female), and fixing our hair (if we have it) we look into the mirror.  When we look into the mirror in the mornings, we don’t look deep into the interior of the soul.  We look at how we can make the exterior look as good as possible.  I have not met too many people who take deep looks into the recesses of their souls; answering the “who, what, when, and why’s” of themselves.  Those questions usually take a great deal of time to answer.  They require us to look past the exterior and into the interior.  The questions demand a serious gaze into our make-up as a person.  Many of us would have to unpack baggage that has been in our personal attic for many, many years in order to truly answer such questions.  What a scary thought!!!  Why would we really want to uncover things that have been hidden for twenty years or more?  If we have been able to hide these bags from ourselves, then they must be hidden from everyone else as well.  At least that it what we want to believe about our unlovely baggage.

I want to share a couple of thoughts today that hopefully will be encouraging to each of us.

  • We are created in the image of the Almighty God.  In Gen. 1, God says “let us create man in our image.”  Now I realize that each one of us has our own distinct look.  The verse is not talking about the physical characteristics, but the total make-up as a person.  Another thought along these lines is that an image is a reflection of the original source.  God created us to reflect Him.
  • God knows all about us and still loves us.  Psalm 139 instructs us in this fact.  The psalmist shares that God knows every thought, every word, and every deed about each of us.  There is no where we can go to hide from Him, because He is already there.  Now if God knows all about us, then that means that He also knows about all the bags that we have hidden in the attic.  So they are not truly hidden.
  • God has a plan for our lives that leads us to the abundant life.  His plan for each of us is unique just as our facial features are unique.

Why do I share these points today?  I believe that when we understand these important facts, we can look into that proverbial mirror and answer those very difficult questions.  In our different relationships, if we have unpacked bags the bags begin to weigh us down so that we cannot truly enjoy the relationship we are in.  Who is looking back at you when you look into the mirror?  Do you like him/her?  Do you even know him/her?

Where do Your Allegiances Lie?

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During the fall of the year, people’s allegiances to their favorite football teams can become fanatical.  I believe that the body painting for Saturday games has become a whole different art form in itself.  I remember when guys would just paint letters on their chests; now girls are getting into the act and it is not just letters any more.  People are painting their heads and their entire bodies.  Raider Nation, along with the Dog Pound and the Washington Hogs led the charge back in the 70’s, but now it seems everyone is getting into the act.

Here in the NE corner of Texas, the allegiances are mostly split between Univ. of Arkansas and Univ. of Texas.  There are many Texas A&M fans as well.  You will find a few Baylor fans along with Univ. of Oklahoma fans.  Of course there are the LSU fans, Florida fans, and then other schools depending on where you grew up.  Most of the smaller groups are not as radical in their display of the loyalties because they are outnumbered so badly.  Of course, these groups are focused on the Saturday games each week.  On Sundays it is a different story.

I am guilty of being committed to certain teams depending on what day of the week the games are played.  I remember on one birthday my sister gave me a “Luv Ya Blue” t-shirt, which was the slogan for the Houston Oilers at that time.  That tells you how long ago we are talking.  I did not like the Oilers at all.  I was (and am) a die-hard Cowboys fan.  When I opened the shirt, I was visibly upset.  I know that I am supposed to be gracious if someone gives me a gift, but this was NOT my team.  I was thinking that I would not ever wear that shirt for no reason.  She saw that I was upset, so she told me to turn the shirt over.  On the back she had printed “Cowboy Blue.”  I immediately was relieved and would then wear the shirt.  Allegiances to our teams will create all kinds of emotions in our lives.

Why do I write about this today?  We are getting to the end of the college football season and moving past the half way point of the pro season.  I was contemplating the loyalties that we show to our favorite team and to what lengths we will go to make sure people know who we are rooting for.  I wonder if we go to the same lengths to show the world WHOSE we are.  Are we as loyal to our relationship with Christ as we are to our favorite football team?  Then are we as loyal to our family?

Rooting for a certain team is not going to keep you out of heaven.  If that were the case, I would certainly not be going I’m sure.  Having hobbies of college football or even pro football is not a sin, in itself.  What becomes the sin is when we are more loyal to our team than we are to our relationship with Christ.  As I heard one commentator on the radio say, football in this area is a religion.  You can see that by the number of people who attend the games on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.  You can also see it by the amount of money schools (even High Schools) spend on their stadiums.  I just wonder if we are willing to spend the same amount of energy on sharing our faith with someone else.

Joshua 24:15 (ESV)
15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

Pop Psychology

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Last night as I was watching The Biggest Loser, (yes I watch every episode if @ all possible) I began thinking that Jillian and Bob want to make everything about them.  I realize that Jillian’s mom is a psychologist and therefore some of her mom has rubbed off on her (LOL), but that does not make Jillian a psychologist.  Last night when the contestant revealed that his sister died when he was 12, Bob and Jillian got mad at him for not telling them about that event in his life.  Jillian actually began confronting the contestant with the new information.

As I have watched this season of the show, I have found myself getting angry about this becoming a “pop-psychology” show and not necessarily a show about how to lose weight.  I know that each one of us has issues that have contributed to the need to lose a few pounds or maybe more than just a few pounds.  I liked the show much more when they concentrated on teaching different types of exercise and ways to cook healthy meals.  Watching people be confronted with fairly emotional life issues has been a turn off for me as far as the show is concerned.

Why do I write this today?  Am I jealous of Jillian for being able to be a “counselor” on TV with a national audience?  I do not think so.  I think the reason I am writing this today is so many people can be confronted with issues by watching TV without any true answers to their problems.  Watching The Biggest Loser for a couple of hours on Tuesday night might raise questions of our lives.  We see that the contestant has faced an issue in just a short amount and it seems to be resolved.  What we do not see is the time it truly takes to resolve such issues.  We only see the edited feature.  Folks, life is not made for TV and TV is not made to solve our problems.  TV is for entertainment and sometimes education.  Our shows will never be the answer or even contain the answer for the issues that haunt us.  Only a true relationship with God through Jesus Christ will have a lasting impact on our lives.

John 10:10b (NASB)
10 “… I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

John 14:6 (NASB)
6 Jesus said* to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

Being Honorable w/ God

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1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NASB)
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.”
10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.

Several years ago, this verse was very popular to pray.  A couple of books were written and many pastors preached series of messages using this verse.  I have read the two books written by Dr. Bruce Wilkerson and preached several messages using the passage to do so.  The reason I am writing today is that God has placed the verse on my heart to begin praying again.  I am praying this verse of scripture in relation to Directed Path Ministries and the vision I believe God is placing on my heart for the ministry.

I highlighted the word “honorable” in the scripture because I believe that is the key to the fact that “God granted him what he requested.”  Too many times I believe we just pray and expect God to do something for us, but we do not take in to consideration that God has requirements for us in order for our prayers to be answered.  Many times we just try to say that we trust God.  We know that God can do some things that would make our lives much different and even better.  We just are not willing to live accordingly.

We will quote Jeremiah 33:3 (NASB) 3 ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ But we forget that Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that we must ask in “His Name” and John carries that even further in his letter I John that we ask according to God’s will.  What does it mean to pray in Jesus’ Name and according to God’s will?  What do we have to do?  What are the requirements so to speak?

I do not believe that there is a single formula in praying.  I believe that it has to come from a relationship with the Father that is intimate in nature and is characterized by a righteous life.  God does not answer our prayers because of our behavior, but He does answer our prayers because of our relationship with Him.  When we are walking with the Lord daily, our desires become His desires.  Our selfishness fades and His kingdom comes more into focus.  If we pray with our own selfish desires, we will be short-sighted in our prayers.  When we pray in God’s will, we will be heaven-sighted.  God then begins to work in our lives for His Glory.

In my daily Bible reading, I read the following passage.  I believe that Peter gives us a good list of what being “honorable” in God’s eyes looks like.

2 Peter 1:4-11 (NASB)
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

My prayer is that each one of us as believers would understand the importance of our living in God’s righteousness.  When we do, we give God glory in our lives and “He grants us what we request.”

Anger Pt. II

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In Anger Pt. 1, I shared how God has given us the emotion of anger.  I also shared that God has the emotion and doesn’t sin.  I began the thought of how anger is a secondary emotion therefore there has to be primary emotions.  What are those primary emotions?  How can we decipher those emotions from the anger that we feel builds up in us?

There are at least four primary emotions that fuel our anger.  Some people add a fifth, but let’s get that one out of the way early.  Some people add Fatigue as a primary emotion for anger.  The problem with that is that everyone gets tired at times and if something goes wrong or someone crosses them anger arises even if the person normally is not an angry person.  I am not discounting fatigue as something that can fuel anger.  I am saying that fatigue can become the scapegoat when one of the other primary emotions needs to be dealt with.

Primary Emotion #1: Hurt.  Hurt is a primary emotion from your past.  Hurt can be caused by any form of rejection or betrayal.  This hurt can be from anyone of significance in your life.  Many people think that something that happened many years cannot be controlling their emotions now, but they are wrong.  If we do not recognize and acknowledge the hurt and the pain from certain rejections from the past, our past will continue to “haunt” us.  When someone treats us in a similar way as what happened to us in the past, we can react with anger as those past emotions well up within us.

Primary Emotion #2: Fear.  Fear is a primary emotion of the future.  Most fear is driven from the unknown.  Why are people afraid of the dark?  Mainly, it is because they do not know what is in the room or in the shadows.  Their imagination can tell them many things are in the dark.  That person does not know for sure what is going to happen.  Probably nothing will happen.  Many people will transfer the fear into anger for protection.  They want to protect themselves, not because they know something bad is going to happen but rather they fear something bad will happen.

Primary Emotion #3: Frustration.  Others have used the word helplessness or a sense of inadequacy.  Frustration covers both of those emotions.  This emotion has to do with a current situation.  Mostly, it deals with a sense of lack of control.  Let’s face it, we want to be in control.  I have met very few people who do not want to be in control of their circumstances.  When people drive in a fashion that is different than what we want them to, we get angry.  When our children do not do what we want them to, we get angry.  Our financial situation might be bleak and we react with anger.  You see, when we want to be in control or maybe in a better situation, we might ultimately feel helpless or inadequate but we react in anger.

Primary Emotion #4: Guilt. I think that each one of us will recognize ourselves in this emotion.  We have done something wrong and when we are approached about it, we react in anger to dispel our own guilt.  Do I need to say more here?  I think you get it.

What do we do with this information?  Here are a couple of steps to take in order to handle anger properly with the people closest to you.  Your family happens to be the brunt of your anger most of the time.

  1. Think first instead of feel first.  What is the goal of your anger?  What is motivating your anger?
  2. Take a “time out” for yourself.  In your time-out, you want to do something that will eliminate the tension and stress of the situation.  You also want to pray for God’s wisdom and grace to respond in His ways. (The time-out needs to be at least 20 minutes but less than 40 minutes.)
  3. Take ownership of your anger.  It is your choice, not someone else’s behavior or your circumstances that is causing your anger.
  4. Talk in a way that will build up and not tear down.
    • Use “I” statements.
    • Keep Eye Contact.
    • Share emotions.
    • Share needs.
    • Ask for forgiveness of your wrong actions.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV)
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Anger is one of the most destructive emotions we will ever experience.  If we allow it to control us, we will hurt and tear down every relationship we have.  If we learn to handle our emotion in a Godly manner, we will be able to display God’s grace and mercy to all that are around us.

Anger Pt. I

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angry_face

Anger.  Rage.  Blow one’s Top.  Letting Off Steam.  These are just a few of the phrases and words that describe an emotion that can be very destructive in our lives.  Many people have many different ideas of what it means to be angry.  Some people get violent with their anger and begin hitting or throwing.  Some people get very loud and yell at anyone or anything around them.  Some people in their anger hold everything in and begin thinking of ways to get even or revenge.  Some people just hold it in and swear to never let that happen again.  All of these responses to anger can be and probably are destructive to relationships and to the person who is experiencing the anger.

Let’s talk about anger today.  Anger is a God given emotion that is to be helpful to us as individuals to have the heart of God.

Numbers 14:18 (ESV)
18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’

As you can see the Bible says that God is slow to anger.  It does not say that God doesn’t have anger.  Matter of fact, the Bible says that God’s anger is fierce.

Numbers 32:14 (ESV)
14 And behold, you have risen in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel!

Does that mean that God is no different than us in that He has sinned in His anger?  NO!!  God has not sinned in His anger because God cannot sin!!!!  Since God does not sin in His anger and we are to reflect Him means that anger is not a sin.  Let me say that again…Anger is NOT a sin.

If anger is not a sin, than why do we sin so much when we are angry?  One of the main reasons why we sin in our anger is that we do not understand anger.  Anger is an emotion that is not normally the primary emotion involved.  It is called a secondary emotion which means that there is a primary emotion that is driving the anger.  Anger might be the vehicle, but something else is the gasoline.  There is at least one time that anger becomes primary and that is when our lives or the lives of our loved ones are in danger or threatened.  Since most of the time, if ever, we do not experience that type of situation, we need to understand our anger.

The main thing that we need to understand is that no one can make us angry.  Being angry is our choice.  The choice is either to react with an emotional reaction or to respond with the mercy of God.  What motivated God in His anger was His Holiness and His love for the people.  He never reacted; He always responded with the characteristics of who He is.

Proverbs 15:18 (ESV)
18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

As you think about your anger today, I encourage you to consider the motivation of the anger.  Your motivation needs to be God’s love and holiness toward the situation in which you find yourself.  Obviously, it takes God’s love and holiness within you to motivate you to respond in God’s way.

Purpose Statement

I provide Biblical Counseling for:
  • People who are hurting in their marriages and families.
  • People who are hurting emotionally and spiritually.
  • People who are seeking freedom from the bondage in their lives.

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5411 PLAZA DR STE G
TEXARKANA, TX 75503
PHONE: (903) 244-5150


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