Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Day 2 That Was Random




Day 2

That was random!


A few years ago I noticed that kids were using a new phrase to describe when one of their peers had an outburst that didn’t seem appropriate to the circumstances – they would say “That was random!”  It was a good way to describe what happened. It was indeed random to those who were watching.  However, it was not so to the one having the outburst.  Something inside of the person caused it.  Paroxysms are not random.
Angry eruptions do not come from nowhere.  They indicate a deficit of higher love in our hearts.  They indicate that there are pockets of self-centeredness, roots of bitterness.  That is why today we must take the time to research our hearts and identify the root of our anger.  God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).  The capacity to love, to keep calm, is planted within us when we are born again by the Spirit.  What we must identify is what is crowding out love and influencing our hearts toward irritability, making us touchy, so that we erupt in anti-love behavior. 
When a person is easily provoked, usually it is the result of something that is underneath the surface.  Again quoting Henry Drummond from 1880,

It is the occasional bubble that escapes to the surface and betrays some rottenness underneath, a sample of the hidden products of the soul, dropped involuntarily when one is off guard.  In a word, the lightening form of a hundred hidden and unchristian sins, for want of patience, for want of kindness, for want of generosity, for want of courtesy, for want of unselfishness, all of these are instantaneously symbolized in the one flash of anger we call temper…Hence it is not enough to deal with the temper.  We must go to the source, and change the inmost nature, and the angry humours will die away of themselves. 

The language is old, but the words ring true!  The idea is this: when we find ourselves prone to outbursts we must look beyond self-control, merely managing the behavior.  That is a good start, because it will keep us from inflicting our poisonous eruptions onto others.  But beyond simply stopping the incidents we need to ask “Why am I so angry?” and get to the root of bitterness and anger.  Otherwise, the volcano will erupt again! 

For example, I have counseled people who over the years have been quick tempered in their marital relationship.  When we sit down to talk, the anger is not caused by the marriage, but that is merely the relationship that is suffering because of his anger.  The anger comes from something prior to the marriage.  As he searches his heart and life he is able to identify the root cause of his anger.  As he reveals this and then deals with what he is really angry about there is hope that his marriage will become much healthier and healing can take place. Often there is a need to go beyond dealing with the root cause in the heart to make amends with those who were hurt by many angry eruptions. 

Eruptions are not random.  There is a root cause.  As we deal with the root cause of our irritability we find that we are now open to the love of God more than ever before.  He can capture our hearts and unleash His love in our lives.  His love in us empowers us to keep calm.  Love is not easily angered. 


Questions for Discussion

Last week we focused on the areas of our lives that have been impacted negatively by angry eruptions, whether dishing it out or receiving it.  Think now about your heart.  If you struggle with your temper, with irritability, with outbursts…why?  Why are you angry?  These are difficult questions.  They are essential.
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Are there people you need to talk to about this?  People you need to apologize to for angry outbursts?  People you need to talk to about the impact their irritability has had on you? 
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Nothing is more important to experiencing the non-irritability of love than being filled with the love of God.  This is the focus of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3.  Pray this prayer…

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.                                          
                                                                 Ephesians 3:14-21










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