Beloved Brothers and Sisters:
In a recent Desiring God post, Jonathan Parnell talks about anger (What our Anger is Telling Us). He talks about the connection between anger and love; anger as the response when something acts against the thing we love. This is a very reveling thought; it really helps us understand the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger.
What is righteous anger? It is the appropriate and necessary response when something acts against, or speaks against, God, His nature, His ways, or His Word. It is the natural response of anyone who truly loves God; anyone who’s greatest concern is for the glory and honor of God. It is the natural response when something endangers anything that it is good and proper to love, and it is loved to an appropriate degree.
What is sinful anger? It is the corrupt response when something that ought not be loved, or something is loved out of proportion, is endangered or spoken against. It can manifest when something we ought not love is threatened, as when something or someone threatens to disrupt our favorite sin or vice. It can also manifest when we love something out or proportion. It is right that we love ourselves. It is right that we have a great care for our reputation. It is not right, however, when we have such a love for our reputation that any possible perceived slight causes us to fly off the handle.
The only way that our anger will be proper, directed in defense of appropriate threats of appropriate affections, is if our affections are directed where they ought to be, and in the proportions they ought to be.
Three steps are offered in the article to help us with our problem of anger.
1. Analyze the anger. When we get angry try and figure out why we are getting so angry about our experience. What does the anger tell us about our affection?
2. Feel sorrow over our sin. As we see how much of our anger is due to misplaced or out of proportion affection, we should mourn over the depth of our sin and “be grieved into repentance.”
3. Remember the love of Jesus. “The obvious solution to disordered love is ordered love.” When we look to Christ we not only see what appropriate affections and appropriate anger when those affections are threatened looks like, but we see what He has done for us and find the grace to overlook offense and injury.
In Case You Missed It
Last Sunday Pastor Matt brought us the strong warning from the author of Hebrews in the one place in Scripture we are actually told to fear. Listen to Therefore, Let Us Fear: Hebrews 4:1-3.
This Sunday we will be sharing a meal together after our morning service. If you were not already able to sign up, contact Lori and she will let you know what we may still have need of. (if you need contact info check the directory on the website or email)
Scripture Reading and Prayer
In order to promote unity of heart and mind among us, we are encouraging as many as are willing to join with us in reading through the entire Bible this year together, as well as devoting specific Scriptures to prayer each day. It is our prayer that as we meditate and pray over the same Scriptures each day, that God will work in our midst to bind us to one another, and to give us a common vision for the ministry here in Maynardville. Prayerfully consider joining with us in this endeavor, and we will see how God will work in our midst.
Our Scriptures to pray over this week are:
- Thur (5/22): Lk 18:13
- Fri (5/23): Ps 66:18
- Sat (5/24): Rom 10:1; 2 Cor 10:3-5
- Sun (5/25): 1 Tim 2:1-2
- Mon (5/26): James 4:6
- Tue (5/27): Jn 17:1-25
- Wed (5/28): Ps 25:1-5
- Thur (5/29): 1 Thes 5:23
Our Scripture reading schedule for the week is:
- Thur (5/22): 2 Sam 1:1-2:11; Jn 12:20-50; Ps 118:19-29; Pr 15:27-28
- Fri (5/23): 2 Sam 2:12-3:39; Jn 13:1-30; Ps 119:1-16; Pr 15:29-30
- Sat (5/24): 2 Sam 4:1-6:23; Jn 13:31-14:14; Ps 119:17-32; Pr 15:31-32
- Sun (5/25): 2 Sam 7:1-8:16; Jn 14:15-31; Ps 119:33-48; Pr 15:33
- Mon (5/26): 2 Sam 9:1-11:27; Jn 15:1-27; Ps 119:49-64; Pr 16:1-3
- Tue (5/27): 2 Sam 12:1-31; Jn 16:1-33; Ps 119:65-80; Pr 16:4-5
- Wed (5/28): 2 Sam 13:1-39; Jn 17:1-26; Ps 119:81-96; Pr 16:6-7
- Thur (5/29): 2 Sam 14:1-15:22; Jn 18:1-24; Ps 119:97-112; Pr 16:8-9
With Love and Affection in Christ,
Caleb
I am trying to find a women’s weekly daytime bible study in the Maynardville (proper) area. Do you have or know any contacts?
Thank you
I,M LOOKING FOR A REFORMED BAPTIST CHURCH THAT PROVIDES SERVICE IN SPANISH OR HAS SERVICE TRANSALTED TO SPANISH. ALSO IF SERMONS ARE DONE W/O SKEEPING BIBLE VERSES WILL BE WONDERFUL. I KNOW IT MIGHT SEEING ASKING FOR A LOT BUT THIS IS WHAT I’M ACUSTOMED AND BELIEVE IT IS VERY HELPFUL FOR THOSE THAT DON’T UNDERSTAND SOME BIBLICAL TRUTH.
PRAY AND HOPE TO FIND IT, SOON IN THE MEAN TIME I WILL CONTINUE GATHERING WITH OTHER CHURCH UNTIL THE LORD GUIDE ME WHERE HE WANTS ME BE.