Sometimes I make myself angry.
Sometimes I anger myself because I am angry with people.
Situations where compassion should be the main star, and it is nowhere to be found, anger me. Those times in particular really rattle my cage, so to speak. My heart breaks for those who need compassion, and patience, and some serious Jesus healing. My heart loathes those who have put them in that place. I usually have a lot of truth to tell them and a lot of love for the victims of their thoughtlessness.
Then Jesus steps in, stopping me before I turn into the Hulk, speaking through His blessed mouthpieces. Kind, tenderhearted, redeemed people. These people understand how to speak the truth in love. I get the speaking the truth part. I get the loving people. It's the lovingly telling the truth, that gets me.
Then there are the people who not only speak the truth in love, but Romans 14 it. They are lovingly helping people realize the truth, while accounting for each person's weaknesses.
As I have taken a step back, God has shown me something. (Now that I don't need to pummel anybody, my schedule is clear and I have time to think.) If I took my description of those who I have deemed worthy of my love, and just placed it anywhere who would it apply to?
"...those who need compassion, and patience, and some serious Jesus healing."
That's the uncompassionate miser I am so very angry with. He needs Jesus to give him mercy. He needs me to be compassionate towards his weaknesses and patient as he learns that lesson.
That's me. I am no better and, truly, worse than someone who puts ridiculous rules and regulations on others because of their personal convictions. I expect people to understand that every person has vastly different backgrounds and experiences. TO see that Jesus has blessed a myriad of different things that will speak to some in extraordinary ways, while others won't be able to understand its power. I expect people to live outside of themselves and rejoice when God speaks in others lives, even if that same thing would never be worshipful to them.
Yet, when people are not compassionate towards this, I lose it. In doing so, I forget that they themselves have had different experiences, and this may be hard for them. I forget that we all have knee-jerk reactions to things. We all have crap to work through, and sometimes when people participate in things that we could never do, we get upset. Maybe we are jealous. Maybe we are confused. Maybe it just. doesn't. Matter.
Maybe what matters is that God is making Himself real and accessible to them. He is working with their weaknesses, struggles, and pasts and letting them know that there is more. There is HIM.
Maybe what matters is that God is making Himself real and accessible to them. He is working with their weaknesses, struggles, and pasts and letting them know that there is more. There is HIM.
