I stumbled hard over the last two months.  Consider this my confession.

Ever burn with anger and frustration at the injustice of something or someone?  It’s a feeling that I have become very familiar with over the last 8 weeks or so.  I had gotten to the point of being so frustrated that the situation had consumed a large portion of my thought life. Planning what I would do, how I could be heard, how I could make it right.

Truth is, I have the ability to think about things and carry on entire conversations (arguments) in my mind – if this, then that. Like a chess players thinks 10-14 moves ahead.  I’m sure that you have this ability too.

God is teaching me a lesson through all of this.

My thought process as to what was happening to me and to my employee(s) may contain some righteous anger, but mostly it was my need to be heard, my need to be right, my need for revenge. Being right in the world does not equate to being right in God’s Kingdom.

Yeah, we never use the word revenge, but in reality that is what is going on when we need to be heard, when we need to set things straight, when we are going to give what the other person deserves. It’s the flesh seeking revenge – it’s sin.

Lesson number 1 – Romans 12:17-21 – I am suppose to treat people that treat me poorly with compassion and good.  I’m suppose to overcome evil with good, not more evil.  I’m suppose to “live peaceably with all”.

Lesson number 2 – Proverbs 21:2 – I have my own agenda, and when I don’t look at the Word of God in each situation, I can and will fail to see it from God’s perspective.  What happens to me from non believers, is not about right and wrong, it’s about the mission field.

Lesson number 3 – I would never have seen my sin unless I was in the Word.  Jesus Christ is the Word. It’s why throughout history evil people, those that are sons of Satan, try to get rid of the Bible. Satan wants to get rid of Christ.

Lesson number 4 – My work is my mission field, and I should expect to suffer. I have no idea if there is a connection between my faith and my struggle. In this case I do not think so.  If I had to boil it down to one thing it would be that I was not “Christ like.” I spent more time thinking about what I thought was right and not following God’s Word. I still believe I’m “in the right,” but being right is not advancing the Kingdom of God. We are suppose to suffer in this life; it is what God has ordained for us. Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 4:12-19, Luke 14:27, and after we have suffered God has also ordained rest for us. 1 Peter 5:10

Lesson 5 – It is near impossible to be angry and not sin.  Don’t get caught in the trap of pretending that you are righteous and your anger is righteous. Romans 3:10.

Pray for me, and let me know how I can pray for you.  Stay in God’s Word and bathe your life situations in It. There is no greater teacher for life’s struggles than the Word of God.