Pastor John,
I was thinking this morning about something that the Lord showed me many years ago. That was this: The most fierce anger that a person will ever feel, is anger that was once pain.
No one wants to hurt, and in this world it is a common occurrence for a person, once they have been hurt and experienced no reconciliation, to allow that pain to transform itself into anger. It seems that anger is more bearable for a person than a hurting heart.
But that is not the way for the saints of God. When we are hurt, and there is no immediate reconciliation, we must leave that wound open, bear the pain and take it in humility to Jesus, knowing that He is the “lifter up of mine head”, and that His joy is greater than any pain that we humans can administer to one another.
We are not permitted to defend ourselves, and that includes allowing anger and bitterness to serve as the salve that binds up a painful wound inflicted on our heart by another.
Such anger and bitterness is no cure at all, it is a cancer and it consumes the soul.
Jerry
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Thank you for that, Jerry. I have seen that happen. Let’s pray for those whose pain has turned into anger (or even hatred, which can also happen), that they will take their pain to Jesus and let him heal their hurt. He will do it if they (1) are willing to feel the pain again, and (2) this time, be willing to forgive the one(s) who hurt them.
Pastor John
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John,
Jerry’s thoughts about anger made me think of something that happened not long ago.
You recently mentioned receiving a call from a backslidden brother wanting you to ask a sister in the Lord to compromise the truth “just one time” in order to satisfy a relationship that doesn’t even exist anyway. When I heard about the way he went about this, I felt anger towards him. It also brought up angry feelings from the past by the way he has manipulated, and deceived, and hurt many people. I started praying about how I was feeling. These scriptures came to mind from Psalm 139:
- Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.
- For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
- Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
- I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
I asked the Lord to show me what it means to hate with a perfect hatred because I don’t want any ungodly anger or bitterness towards anyone, no matter what they have done. What came to mind is this. God is “angry with the wicked everyday”, but he is not bitter. Jesus is ready to forgive any true repentant heart. A bitter person on the other hand does not forget or forgive, and sometimes seeks revenge. Bitterness can cause strife among the brethren.
These thoughts gave me peace because I knew if Jesus stands ready to forgive, so can I. After all, he forgave me of my sinful life. Do you have any thoughts on what David meant by hating with perfect hatred or my thoughts about bitterness? I welcome any instruction on this matter.
Thank you,
Tom
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Hi Tom.
Perfect hatred and perfect love are two sides of the same coin. Perfect hatred of the ways of man is perfect love of God. When we love God perfectly, we are hating the ways of our flesh perfectly, just like Jesus.
Perfect love and perfect hatred are holy things. God feels them both, as do all those who are like Him. Perfect hatred of the wicked is simply choosing to live your life without them being in control of it. It is choosing to please God rather than man. The brother you mentioned wanted me to talk to a sister in Christ and to persuade her to hate Jesus with perfect hatred and choose his way instead. I couldn’t do that, though I did pass on his request to her. She chose to love God perfectly and continue to follow Jesus, as I knew she would.
Thanks for the question, Tom.
In perfect love,
Pastor John