Following on from my previous post about Lot's wife and marching forward in the Christian life, how we (I) tend to find ourselves (myself) in a situation where we have to learn lessons all over again!
I've transferred department in work, back to a department I have worked in before. I was looking forward to going back there BUT I've found myself resenting my time. I work in a bakery and I'm the afternoon baker. The morning bakers go home on time because there is somebody there to pick up from where they left off so they don't have to rush to finish things. This can mean that there is quite a bit for me to do (this is nothing on my colleagues - it's the nature of the job) so I've started to resent having to stay later (missing breaks and not gonig home on time) to get everything completed etc. Well it came to a head yesterday when I was so angry with the colleague who was in before me.
Today I was thinking about it so I looked up some verses which deal with anger and resentment (which I will post below) and I thought - I need these tattooed onto me so I don't forget them THEN I thought of Psalm 119:11 - Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You. Who needs a tattoo when I can memorise Scripture (something I used to do, but am very lackadaisical at doing, these days).
When I first became a Christian, the church I went to encouraged Scripture memorisation - Psalm 119:11 was the first verse I learned.
Back to yesterday - God teaches us lessons if we are willing to listen to Him and learn from Him, but so often we have to keep learning the same lesson over and over again, and by doing so we are being conformed to Christ's likeness (who didn't need to learn lessons as we do).
I remember going to a Christian conference and the subject was about Unity in Christ - the speaker (the late Professor Edward Donnelly) said that sometimes we pray for patience, so God puts us in situations which try our patience, or we ask for meekness so God puts us with people who try our meekness. Don't be surprised if you ask for some quality, and you're put in a situation which tries and tests it. God doesn't always hand us what we want on a plate, He prepares us for glory!
Some Scripture I found which deal with anger and resentment:
Ephesians 4:26-32
“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on
your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but
rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have
something to give him who has need. Let
no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification,
that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And
be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in
Christ forgave you.
Hebrews 12:14,15
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no-one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled...
Romans 12:17-21
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Psalm 37:8
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret - it only causes harm.
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