The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
April 22, 2007
In
This Issue:
When
Anger Rests Within
by
Steve Klein
Will
Work for Food
by
Greg Gwin
When Anger Rests Within
What would cause a person to murder thirty-two innocent people? By all accounts, the Virginia Tech mass murderer Cho Seung-Hui was a very angry young man. He was angry nearly all the time and he was angry with everybody. Some might say his anger was partially justified. Certainly he had been mistreated, and perhaps oppressed -- picked on in school, not able to enjoy the good fortune of many of his peers, misunderstood and rejected by a culture that boasts of accepting everyone. These adversities fueled psychological problems, no doubt, but mainly Cho's problem was spiritual. He was enslaved by the sin of anger.
Listen to the wisdom of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 7:9: "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools." The word "rests" here means to "stay," "dwell", or "settle down". One of the reasons that it is foolish to allow anger to rest inside of you is that it provides Satan with such a convenient and powerful tool to use to gain control of you. This is exactly what the apostle Paul is warning us about when he says, "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil" (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Harboring anger is like carrying an unexploded bomb around with you. It will eventually go off, and it will do a lot of damage when it does. In a 1994 article, Wars' Lethal Leftovers Threaten Europeans, Associated Press reporter Christopher Burns writes the following:
The bombs of World War II are still killing in Europe. They turn up -- and sometimes blow up -- at construction sites, in fishing nets, or on beaches fifty years after the guns fell silent. "Hundreds of tons of explosives are recovered every year in France alone. Thirteen old bombs exploded in France last year, killing twelve people and wounding eleven, the Interior Ministry said. "'I've lost two of my colleagues,' said Yvon Bouvet, who heads a government team in the Champagne-Ardennes region that defuses explosives from both World War I and II. . . . "Unexploded bombs become more dangerous with time, Bouvet said.'With the corrosion inside, the weapon becomes more unstable, the detonator can be exposed.'"
What is true of lingering bombs is also true of lingering anger. Buried anger will explode eventually. Expressing this latent anger in an explosive way that damages others is never a good thing. And, it's never a small thing either, no matter how much those who are guilty of this behavior try to minimize it or downplay its significance. It is a weighty matter. "A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but a fool's wrath is heavier than both of them." (Proverbs 27:3).
As Christians, we are forbidden to allow anger to rest within us and create bitterness. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." (Ephesians 4:31).
-- Steve
Klein
A homeless man frequently stations himself near a major intersection and holds up a hand written sign which reads: "Will Work For Food". Several have attempted to offer him work. One such offer was reported by an investigative reporter for a local TV news department. All have been refused. This man, despite what his sign says, is looking for a handout - not for work. We are disappointed and disgusted by the situation. The Lord has something to say about it, too: "If anyone will not work, neither let him eat" (2 Thess. 3:10).
There is a spiritual parallel to this sad tale. It goes like this: Christians assemble to worship God. They unite their voices to sing:
"Lord Send Me"
"I want to be a soul winner for Jesus"
"We'll work till Jesus comes"
"I want to be a worker for the Lord".
But, when challenged with opportunities to serve God, they hold back and do nothing. Bible study is neglected, prayer is abandoned, worship assemblies and special classes are not attended, financial support is not forthcoming, personal work efforts are largely ignored. Do you see it? Isn't this like the homeless man who says he wants work but will not accept it?
There are too many who want the rewards of Christianity without doing any work. They're looking for a spiritual "handout". They will not receive it. God views the spiritually lazy in the same way He views the physically lazy: no work, no reward.
"Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor. 15:58).
-- Greg Gwin