The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
September 3, 2006
In
This Issue:
I'm
So Mad!
by
Steve Klein
Part-time
Christians
by
Stacey E. Durham
I'm So Mad!
It's easy to lose control of our words and actions when we are angry. We become like the man who said, "I'm so think, I can't mad straight!" Anger blocks out our better judgment and we wind up saying and doing things that we later regret.
This being the case, it is wise to be very cautious about becoming angry to begin with. The Bible repeatedly tells us to be "slow to anger."
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"The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression" (Proverbs 19:11).
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"He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly" (Proverbs 14:29).
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"A wrathful man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger allays contention" (Proverbs 15:18).
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"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20).
Often, people who are angry cannot explain what made them angry. One thing that will help us gain control of our tempers is to understand the things that set us off, and how to deal with them constructively. If we can understand what makes us angry, we are in a better position to control our anger. A list of things that make most of us angry would probably include the following:
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The angry words and deeds of others. Angry people make us angry! We tend to respond to anger with anger. Proverbs 15:1 says that "a harsh word stirs up anger." Verse 18 says that "a wrathful man stirs up strife." And Proverbs 30:33 states that, "As the churning of milk produces butter, and wringing the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife." Obviously, the best way to avoid having the anger of others infect us in this way is to avoid people who are angry. God's Book says, "Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul" (Proverbs 22:24-25).
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Transgression or injustice against us. When others "do us wrong," we tend to become angry, but that doesn't mean that we have to become angry. Notice that Proverbs 19:11 said, "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression." When we've been wronged, we can overlook it because we trust God to even out every injustice. We don't have to get mad to get even. The Lord will take care of it. The Psalmist advises, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret-it only causes harm" (Psalm 37:7-8).
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Those who scoff. No one likes to be made fun of. Few of us can stand for others to ridicule us, our family, our home town, our political party or our favorite football team. It makes us mad! Proverbs 29:8 says that "Scoffers set a city aflame, but wise men turn away wrath." The best way to deal with the scoffer is simply not to listen to him. Proverbs 22:10 commands, "Cast out the scoffer, and contention will leave; Yes, strife and reproach will cease."
Anger is a dangerous thing. Like fire, if it's never ignited it can never burn out of control. Be slow to anger.
--Steve Klein
Everyone knows the difference between a full-time job and a part-time job. A full-time employee gives more, receives more, and expects more from his employer. A part-time job requires less time and less effort. A person who takes a part-time job usually does so to receive extra income while he focuses most of his attention on his higher priorities. A part-time employee is not deeply committed to his employer, nor is his employer deeply committed to him. A part-time employee also understands that he does not receive the same benefits as a full-time employee.
When it comes to being a Christian, the Lord does not offer the option of a part-time relationship. This is obvious from the high level of commitment that He has demanded from His disciples (Luke 9:23-24; 14:26-33; Matt. 10:37-39). The Lord said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23, emphasis SED). There is no alternative whereby a true disciple of Christ may take up his cross only on every other day or only on Sundays. The Lord requires His disciple to commit the rest of his life to Christ beginning on the first day He comes to Jesus.
However, it appears that many people are attempting to maintain part-time relationships with the Lord. This partial commitment is evident in various ways. Some are hot and cold, meaning that sometimes they are fervent for the Lord and His kingdom and other times they are apathetic or just outright disobedient. Others consistently offer the minimum effort that they deem sufficient to satisfy their consciences. Still others are hypocrites, acting as faithful Christians in the presence of some and as godless persons in the presence of others.
While these offer part-time service to Jesus Christ, they expect to receive the full benefits of being a disciple of Christ. They want forgiveness of their sins, yet they do not fully repent. They want reconciliation to God, yet they often fail to pray to Him. They want to know God, yet they do not study His word. They want entrance into the kingdom of heaven, yet they have little commitment to the church of Christ here on earth. Can they honestly expect to receive the full blessings of Christ without fully committing to Him? It is the Lord's prerogative to judge men as He wills, but they place themselves in a precarious position.
As a result of such part-time commitments by Christians, the body of Christ suffers. The church is described as a body with each member functioning together for the good of the whole (see Rom. 12:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-30; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 5:28-30). When any member of the body fails in its function, the whole body suffers. The church fails to accomplish its God-given work because the part-time members are unreliable and inconsistent. Some such members simply never contribute to the work. Others contribute only when it is convenient. This makes it very difficult for the church to grow. By comparison, a church with members who function only part of the time is like a person who does not know which parts of his body are going to work on which days. He cannot make plans for tomorrow because he does not know if he will be able to walk or talk or stand. His whole body is prevented from functioning because of the failure of a few members.
Understandably, there are circumstances which make the life of a Christian difficult for some. The Lord did not promise that it would be easy. In truth, nobody's circumstances are perfect. If we wait for everything to be perfect before we serve God, then we will never commit to Him. We must not allow anything to become an excuse for our failure to do God's will. If you think that it is simply impossible for you to commit your full efforts to the Lord, then consider those Christians who live in far worse circumstances than you do who are fully committed to Christ. Consider brethren through the ages who have given everything for the Lord. How did they do it? The truth is that they were willing to suffer hardship in His service that many of us are just not willing to suffer (2Tim. 2:3).
Every Christian should be motivated to a full commitment to Christ by considering the commitment that Christ has made to us. Consider Philippians 2:5-11. Jesus gave up the glory of being in the exalted position of God over the universe to be in the lowly position of a bond-servant to mankind. Every effort in the life of Jesus was made according to the will of God and for the service of others. The Lord's example is given for His disciples to imitate. His self-sacrificing love for us provokes our love for Him and our brethren (1John 3:16; 4:7-12). Therefore, love Him and commit yourself fully to Him and His kingdom. Christ deserves nothing less.
-- Stacey E. Durham
via Creekside church of Christ bulletin, Gallatin, TN