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8 Characteristics of a real man

6/30/2015

What are the common behaviors of a man who claims Christ as his savior? What does the power of God's Word do to a man? What does a man look like who has been transformed by God's Holy Spirit?

1. The Christian man is free to be a servant-leader.  He no longer depends upon his own strength, but on the guidance, wisdom and strength of the Lord. His identity is not dependent on successful achievement, so he is set free to fail without being devastated by failure. This freedom to fail gives the Christian man courage and faith to step out and take measured risks in the Lord's work. He includes others in the decision-making process because he is no longer afraid to admit that he needs the help of others and of God in order to have success. He can affirm and build up those with whom he works because he feels affirmed and accepted in love by God in Christ.

2. The Christian man is free to be lighthearted. He no longer has to take himself so seriously. God is his refuge. He is set free from having to protect himself, to fear and shield himself from others. He is secure in himself and his faith. He will not list out his accomplishments like a peacock strutting around, fanning his tail. His personality will take on a peaceful playfulness that will draw others to him. He can laugh at himself.  He has no need to put others down.

3. The Christian man is free to interact with others. He is relational. He is a thoughtful boss and a congenial host. He is free to share himself openly. He will talk with his wife. He will talk with his children. He will not talk at them but will talk with them, listening to those he loves. He will not have to have all the right answers. He will enjoy entering into the deeper-meaning dimensions of the lives of those around him. He is no longer interested in telling others how important he is. He is now more interested in hearing about their joys, their needs, their hopes, their dreams.

4. The Christian man is able to be open with others about his needs and to ask for help. He knows that it is his willingness to open his life to others that creates possibilities for himself and others to grow, receive healing and move on toward maturity in Christ. The man will give and receive friendship.

5. The Christian man is free to be tender. He no longer has to analyze everything objectively and express himself without feeling. He is now strong enough to be gentle.  He will touch and hold and kiss his children & grandchildren as Jesus held the children of his day and loved them. He will affirm others with words of truth and love and be generous with hugs and other physical expressions of encouragement. He will let others affirm and love him. He can laugh and cry with others like Jesus did.

6. The Christian man is free to forgive. He will forgive others quickly and with a generous spirit as he has been forgiven by God. A redeemed sinner, and in process himself, he can sympathize and empathize with the struggles of others.

7. The Christian man is free to stand for righteousness. He will influence the world by courageous speaking the truth and acting on the truth he knows. Once he was too insecure to stand up for what he believed, but now he is secure in Christ's love.  He has the courage to expose the fruitless behaviors of darkness and to model the fruitful lifestyle of light, love and truth.

8. The Christian man is free to be concerned for the world around him. No longer driven by a need to build external evidences of his worth, he can give himself and his money away. He can work less to build his personal empire, and more to alleviate suffering, hunger and the conditions that lead to distress, disease and death.

The Christian man is free to live in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The information from this post is adapted from Temptations Men Face.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Moving from childish faith to childlike faith

6/29/2015

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Mark 10:13-16
13 And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.15 Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.

1 Corinthians 13:11-12
11 When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I [d]became a man, I did away with childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror [e]dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

I believe we sometimes confuse "childlike" with "childish". It's easy enough to do. Maybe we can't help it, it's just the way we are.

There is a huge difference though, one that, if we fail to realize it, could mean we miss out on the best God has for us.

There was one time, just for some fun, I convinced my nieces (both currently under the age of 10) that in order to catch the gummy fish they loved so much, fishermen had to use gummy worms. It seemed to make sense to them as they began telling their mom (my sister) and their grandmother that as though it were fact.

We have all done something like this, right? Tried to convince a child of something that just isn't true, seeing how far we can take their belief? But have you often thought why they will believe?

Children can be very trusting. Most of their time their experience with the world has been limited. Loving parents try to shield as much of the world from their children as they can. Childhood is a very precious time in which the wonder of the world can be experienced without any pretenses or cynicism.

The children Jesus wanted to bless had not yet been taken in by the politics that dominated the first century of Palestine. They hadn't involved themselves in the debates that took place in the synagogues or the Temple. They weren't motivated by one group or another. Many of them may have just been becoming aware of the larger surrounding world, but it was still something new to them.

These children did not try to trap Jesus into an answer. They didn't make demands of Him. They didn't try to push any preconceived notions on Him of who He should be, or what He should do. There was simply awe, and wonder, and a willingness to simply believe. There was a readiness to believe.

The disciples maybe saw the children as a bother. He was much too important a rabbi and long hoped for Messiah to be surrounded by children, with their games, and their lack of understanding the greater issues. He was much too busy for them, or so the disciples thought.

When we worship in church on Sunday, is it with the childlike wonder, the lack of pretense, the willingness and readiness to believe God is who He says He is? Is the reason we don't see the power of the Holy Spirit at work calling us to live holy lives at work in our churches is because we have brought too much of our own baggage and cynicism into the church? Have we lost the ability to just simply believe and be led by the Holy Spirit?

Or perhaps have we interpreted "childlike" to mean "childish"?

As a pastor I deal with a lot of drama, and most of it is from people who really should know better. People who are supposedly mature in their faith. Many of them have attended church and professed Christ for several years. It isn't my place to dispute that, but I do wonder:

Have they progressed in their spiritual development as a child of God from when they initially believed to the present?
Are they more wrapped up in their immediate gratification than in the patience that the Holy Spirit provides us with in waiting on God's time?
Do they throw a temper tantrum when something doesn't go their way?

With all the wonder of childhood, childishness is not often tolerated. Children can be extremely self centered. We don't like it when one child picks on another because they can't get to a toy they want to play with, and we try to get them to see that is not acceptable behavior. We look around, often in embarrassment, when a child starts screaming in a store because his mother won't buy him candy. He may even go so far as to stomp his feet.

Just because they are children doesn't mean they are allowed to act however they want. At some point they are going to become adults, and they need to know what proper behavior is so that they can relate to others in an appropriate way.

When the Apostle Paul writes that for a time he acted like a child and spoke like a child. But there came a time when the childishness of his life was done, and he matured. Did he ever lose his sense of wonder for God? The gospel? His mission to take the gospel to the ends of the Earth? No, I don't believe he ever did.

That, among other things, is the tension we deal with. At the time of our spiritual birth we are given God's presence in our lives, the Holy Spirit, to help us grow and mature so that we look more and more like Him. Each new day in His presence though should bring with it awe and wonder, because each new day brings with it new ways in which God can and will reveal Himself at work in our lives and in our world. But that does not give us a license to act how we want to, especially when the way we act shows a lack of maturity and looks more like a spoiled child who didn't get his way.

I am thankful for the ways I experienced God throughout my childhood, and I am grateful that I have been given His Holy Spirit to make me into the child of God I am today. And I will be looking forward to the ways I'll mature tomorrow without ever losing that sense of wonder at who God is.

This post was written by Pastor Christopher Cole. You can find his original blog post here: http://pastorchristophercole.blogspot.com/2015/06/moving-from-childish-faith-to-childlike.html

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Sunday Meditation

6/28/2015

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How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?
Psalm 13:1-2

Sometimes our spiritual distress is centered on questions about God. Where is God? Why doesn't God help? At other times our spiritual distress is centered on questions about ourselves. What is wrong with me? How come I'm still struggling this much?

Doubts about ourselves can be profoundly troubling. We wonder if our faith will survive the struggle. We wonder if our faith is strong enough. Often we feel like spiritual failures. The kind of spirituality we have been taught does not envision 'good' Christians as people who wrestle with their thoughts and are sad everyday. We think of 'good' Christians as people who trust God and manage to smile in the midst of any circumstances. When we can't manage to do this, we question and criticize ourselves.

But wrestling with our thoughts and experiencing sorrow day after day is often a part of the recovery process. It is not a sign of failure to engage in this hard work. It is a sign of courage. And it is a sign that our faith is alive and struggling. People of real faith struggle in life. People of real faith are people who wrestle with thoughts and who feel sorrow in their heart.

Lord, I get so tired of thought-wrestling.
And I am so weary of heart-sorrow.
How long, Lord?
How long does this wrestling and sorrow go on?

Help me, Lord, not to experience this struggle as spiritual failure.
Help me to see this hard work as drawing me closer to you.
Remind me today that you are with me in all of this.
Remind me today that you understand.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

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Live wisely

6/27/2015

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If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom (James 3:13).

"Your Work Is Not Your Life.” “Burnout to Flourishing.” These recent magazine article titles reflect our need to find wisdom that can help us live well.

Whether it’s making decisions at work or dealing with personal trials, time and time again we experience the pressing need to be wise. The pursuit of wisdom, however, is often confused with the pursuit of gaining more knowledge. Reading books, attending classes, or pursuing higher education may prove helpful, but one doesn’t naturally become wiser from these things. And while experience may count, age doesn’t necessarily translate to wisdom. Something else is required.

The Bible tells us it’s the “fear of the LORD” (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). Bible teacher Lawrence E. Toombs explains, “Wisdom is to be found with God, and nowhere else; and unless the quest for wisdom brings man to his knees in awe and reverence, knowing his own helplessness to make himself wise, wisdom remains for him a closed book.”

We understand why if we look at what true wisdom looks like. In James 3:17, the apostle lists seven marks of the wisdom that comes from God. These verses show us that being wise isn’t a matter of intellectual capacity, but an attitude, a character trait, and essentially, a life reflecting Jesus that flows from Him. It’s the fruit of someone who walks with God, fearing Him and being led into wisdom as He leads.

To navigate successfully through life, making decisions that honor God, requires that we seek the Source of all wisdom. As James exhorts, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you” (James 1:5). Yes, call out to God; He alone can give you the wisdom to live wisely for Him.

This post was written by Poh Fang Chia of Our Daily Bread.

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Choosing love

6/26/2015

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How can someone ever trust in the existence of an unconditional divine love when most, if not all, of what he or she has experienced is the opposite of love - fear, hatred, violence, and abuse?

They are not condemned to be victims! There remains within them, hidden as it may seem, the possibility to choose love. Many people who have suffered the most horrendous rejections and been subject to the most cruel torture are able to choose love. By choosing love they become witnesses not only to enormous human resiliency but also to the divine love that transcends all human loves. Those who choose, even on a small scale, to love in the midst of hatred and fear are the people who offer true hope to our world.

For further reflection ...

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12: 2 (NIV)

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Setting guide rails in life

6/25/2015

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Yesterday's post was about staying far away from temptation. The king of that country wanted a carriage driver who would not be tempted to be a show-off or to be brave with his daughter. Rather he wanted a carriage driver who would be safe.

To be safe is to be predictable. To be predictable is to plan ahead. To be predictable is to make decisions ahead of time about what you would do in a particular situation.

I had a young man ask me, "how far can I go with a girl? Is going up her shirt too far?" The answer he received was, "If she was your wife and another guy had done that to her before you married her, how would you feel?" He responded, "I wouldn't like it." Then the conversation proceeded to how to make guard rails in his life. What things could he place in his life that tell him he is about to go too close to the edge? He needed to stay far away from the edge rather than seeing how close to the edge he could come.

If you are a regular user of Facebook, then you know that you get all kinds of "friend" requests from people. It's not uncommon to receive friend requests from people you don't know. I caution you to not accept friend requests easily. Some are very easy to spot as they have provocative pictures or have a lot of foul language or racist comments. You're not going to get a "confirm friendship" from me if that is you. That is a guide rail that I have set in my life. You may think that's rather prudish but remember, Facebook is not reality. If we have a real, face-to-face friendship, I will be friendly to you and try to have an influence on you and create a real friendship with you.

Other friend requests are not as easy to spot. For example, one young lady asked to be my friend. I noticed that on her FB wall, she had a rather narrow view of men. She had posts about how to treat men and also about men like to drink beer. In fact, she private messaged me and invited me to a party so that I could have a few beers. She knows I am married. It appears that she believed that all men cared about were sex and beer.

Most men are much more complex than that. Men are actually pretty deep and enjoy many aspects of life and thought. I was flattered (however, she does know a bit about me and I think she was being manipulative, not flattering) but I also know that confirming her friendship would be getting me too close to the edge. If I think that her friendship would be innocent, and that I could handle such, then I have taken more liberty with myself than I think I should.

Maybe nothing would happen but then what would happen if FB conversations turned flirtatious? What would happen if I privately told her things about my marriage and my life that I didn't tell my wife? What if I became more interested in talking with her than my spouse? You can see the slippery slope that starts with just the click of a mouse. So, that's a guard rail that I have set in my life. I try to be very careful about what I allow into my life. I've seen too many men fall with just saying yes to simple things...

Now, I'm speaking about my life. These are just some simple predictabilities that I have thought through. I have planned ahead for what I believe is good for me. You may have different convictions than I have. You may be able to have FB friendships with people that seem questionable. But not me. I don't want to see how close I can get to that edge.

Caveat: I have found FB to be the world's largest mission field. I see it is a wonderful opportunity to make friends with people all over the world and also to share Jesus with people with whom I would never, ever have contact. I tend to use FB for joining groups and meeting people in rooms that have Administrators who monitor the conversations. That also gives me time to check out the person in a safe environment so that I have a better idea if the person is safe (predictable).

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Now hiring a royal carriage driver! (a tale on temptation)

6/24/2015

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Once upon a time there was a king. He was a very good king and a very wise king. He was well-loved by the people of his kingdom. Everywhere he went, he was welcomed by the people of his kingdom. It was a perfect kingdom. Peace ruled this kingdom. There was very little crime and this king ruled with grace, love and compassion...

The king had a very important job that he wanted filled in his kingdom. So, he had flyers passed throughout, delivered by town couriers. The flyers read, "Now hiring a royal carriage driver! Please apply to the king." The king was so loved, that there were many, many people who wanted to drive the royal carriage. They thought, "to be able to drive the king! How I would love to care for my king!"

The king interviewed many people and finally narrowed his choices down to three drivers. He called them in for a second interview. This was the interview that would end in getting the job.

The king started out this group interview with this statement.... "As you know I have a daughter, my only daughter, the princess. She is the love of my life. I don't want anything bad happening to her. She has a friend on the far side of the kingdom that she likes to visit frequently. I need someone I can completely trust to take her there."

Each carriage driver said, "I'm you're man king. I am trustworthy. I am safe. I am an excellent carriage driver."

The king continued, "On the route between our mansion and her friends's house is a deep ravine. I'm worried about how a driver may handle the carriage alongside this ravine. I don't want the carriage sliding off and losing my daughter to death."

Further, the king stated, "Now I have a question I want to ask you three men... How close can you safely get to the edge of that ravine?"

The first carriage driver proudly stated, "I can do that safely, O king! I have won many carriage races. I can drive her there quickly and safely. I could get her within one yard of the edge of that ravine."

The second carriage driver proudly countered, "I have never had an accident, O king! I have been driving carriages since I was a young boy. I could get her within one foot of the edge of that ravine!"

The third carriage driver, with fear and humility in his voice stated, "O king, I have had several accidents. And I have learned from each one of them. Once I had an accident because I was traveling too fast. Another time I had an accident on that same ravine that you are speaking. Since, I have learned to slow down and stay away from the edge of that ravine. If I was your royal carriage driver entrusted with your daughter, I would stay as far from the edge of that ravine that I can. I would slow the horses down and we would carefully & safely go past that ravine."

The king dismissed his three applicants. As they were waiting for the king to make his decision, the first and second applicants were called to him. The king told them, "Thank you for applying to be my carriage driver. However, I cannot entrust my daughter to either of you. I'm not interested in speed or how close to the edge you can come. I am interested in my daughter's safety. You are not ready to be my royal carriage driver."

The third applicant was then ushered in... The king told him, "Thank you for applying to be my daughter's carriage driver. You are exactly the man I have been searching for! You have experience. You have had accidents. Moreover, you learned from your accidents. You have learned an important principle that I have tried to teach in my kingdom. I'm neither interested in speed nor how close you can come to the edge of the ravine. I want a driver who will transport my daughter safely. I don't want a driver who is willing to risk my daughter's life. She is the most important person to me in my kingdom. I want her to experience a life of security and safety."

What does this tale tell us about temptation?

Temptation is nothing to be flirted with. It is nothing to be toyed with. Temptation needs to be avoided. Don't even get close to the edge...

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Party time!! (a short story about grace)

6/23/2015

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It was a beautiful house. The most welcoming of houses. A stunning house. A house like no other. The house where Grace lived.

A home like this was destined to be shared, so as she often did, Grace prepared a meal. No, no, no, it wasn’t just a meal – this was a FEAST! The kind of cuisine reserved for castles, princesses, and fairytales. No expense was spared. She decked out her oversized, antique table with the finest china and the most elaborately embroidered tablecloths. The smell of exotic, culinary delicacies hung thickly in the air. It was time for a party.

Right about then, a man came struggling along the path in front of the house. He was obviously agitated. Jumpy. He talked out loud to the air with a phobic paranoia. And to make matters even stranger, behind him he dragged a large metal cage full of the ugliest black birds you have ever seen. It was attached to his waist with a massive steel chain, and he dragged it through the dirt with a strained shuffling gait. Whenever he stumbled or wobbled, the cage would shake and the birds would let out the most horrifying chorus of shrieks. The man would instinctively crumble in terror, balling himself into a fetal position, clawing at the air, as he begged in agony for them to stop.

Grace could see this awful unfolding scene from her dining room window and rushed outside to his aid.

“My friend,” she said in the most soothing of tones, “please relax, you’re not alone. I’m here to help, I have the answer. Let me cut these heavy chains and remove this hideous cage. You don’t have to drag these fears around with you anymore. Come inside, I’ve made the most splendid of meals and I want you to be my guest. I can do things for you that you could never possibly do for yourself.”

But the man shrieked all the louder. “Get away! Get away! These fears may be hideous, but they’re all I know. I’ve dragged them for more miles than you can imagine. I got them from trusting, trusting people like you! So leave me alone and let me get on with it. If there is freedom from these fears it will have to be of my own doing. And amidst the ever growing sounds of terror, he trudged into the darkness and disappeared from the warm glow of the house. The house where Grace lived.

Not more than a few moments later a new figure appeared on the path. Unlike the first, this man didn’t seem to be struggling much at all. In fact, cloaked in a massive oversized white fur coat, he actually looked to be…strutting. He paused every few steps to gaze at his reflection in the adjacent pond until he was frozen dead in his tracks by the almost mirror-like qualities of Grace’s massive dining room window. Absolutely gorgeous!

Even though the man’s ego was nearly as ugly as his coat, Grace rushed to the front door and warmly greeted this new opportunity with her usual warmth and charm. ”Hello friend! I’ve prepared a feast, will you come join me? I’ve planned a great party and I’m expecting many guests. I would love to add you to the celebration!”

“Eat with such plebes?” he replied with a smirk. “I’m sure they’re far beneath the class of a specimen like me. But I am hungry after this long walk.” And so he brashly sauntered up the stairs, brushing Grace to the side and heading straight for the front door.

“Oh, there’s just one thing,” Grace interrupted as she politely stopped his progress. “Your coat. It stays out here. In my house, all the warmth and covering you’ll ever need has already been provided for you. The only way we dine together is if we see the real you. No coats. No pretense. All that stays out here.”

“But this coat is my pride!” the man violently hissed. “If it stays outside then so do I!” And he stormed back down the front steps (with much less of a swagger this time), onto the path, and back into the woods (only pausing at a few leftover rain puddles for a quick peek at his reflection). His choice was made, and his egocentric silhouette quickly faded into the forrest near the house. The house where Grace lived.

As Grace reached for the doorknob to return to her preparations, she caught a glimpse of yet a third weary traveler struggling up the path. The woman appeared to be carrying a large sack, easily twice as big as she was, and was painfully doubled over under its incredible weight. Grace ran quickly down the front steps and up the walk to offer the poor woman her assistance.

“Dear friend, you can hardly walk! Here, give me your sack, we’ll leave it here. Come in and rest. Let me tend to you. I’m preparing a huge feast and expecting many guests. Join us! The food and drink is overflowing!”

The woman never looked up. Her voice was so soft and shaken she could barely be understood. “This bag is my shame, full of unspeakable sorrow and regret. Skeletons and memories I’ve carried so long they’ve become a permanent part of me.”

Sure enough, the sack had been on her back for so long it had quite literally attached itself to her skin!

“My dear,” Grace replied in her comforting tones, “please come inside and let me help you. I have just the tools to set you free, you only need to trust me. I’ve already done all the work to ensure you don’t have to carry a bag of shame like this anymore.”

“Thank you kind lady,” came the woman’s trembling reply. “But many have tried to help me do just that on the course of this painful journey, and to no avail. Freedom is an illusion I’m afraid. This sack of shame is who I am. If you cut it off I’ll most certainly die. Now let me on my way. I can manage this burden on my own. I’ve been doing it for quite some time now.” And so she slowly set out, following the same lonely path that fear and pride had forged just a few short moments earlier, and leaving the warm glow of the house as nothing more than a distant memory. The house where Grace lived.

The party was a smash! The house was filled with every kind of person you could possibly imagine. Princes and paupers. Businessmen and beggars. Aristocrats and commoners. They came from near and far for this feast of the ages!

No one left unchanged. Grace made sure of it. Cages and coats and large empty sacks littered the front walkway like a graveyard of self-salvation projects. And yet even as she relished in the joy of her miraculous work, Grace couldn’t help but wonder why three exhausted travelers chose to miss the celebration and continue alone. It was so unnecessary. The work had already been completed. All they had to do was come inside.

But the Good News for all weary wanderers is that the warm, inviting, transformational doors of this house always remain open. The house where Grace still lives.

This post was written by Erik Cooper. You can find the original post here: http://beyondtherisk.com/2013/06/11/the-house-where-grace-lived/

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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Bono on Grace and how it is different from Karma

6/22/2015

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“It’s a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma…

You see, at the centre of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics – in physical laws – every action is met by an equal or opposite one. Its clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I’m absolutely sure of it.

And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that “As you reap, so will you sow” stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I’ve done a lot of stupid stuff.

That’s between me and God. But I’d be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I’d be in deep s***. It doesn’t excuse my mistakes, but I’m holding out for Grace. I’m holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross because I know who I am, and I hope I don’t have to depend on my own religiosity.

The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That’s the point. It should keep us humbled….its not our own good works that get through the gates of heaven…

If only we could be a bit more like Him, the world would be transformed. All I do is get up on the Cross of the Ego; the bad hangover, the bad review. When I look at the Cross of Christ, what I see up there is all my s*** and everybody else’s. So I ask myself a question a lot of people have asked: Who is this man? And was He who He said He was, or was he just a religious nut? And there it is, and that’s the question. And no one can talk you into it or out of it.”

This post was written by Jon Kuhrt. You can find the original post here:
http://resistanceandrenewal.net/2014/01/26/bono-on-the-difference-between-grace-and-karma/

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Sunday Meditation

6/21/2015

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In your anger, do not sin. Ephesians 4:26

Living in relationship with other people means that we will experience seasons of anger. Anger is a normal human emotion. It is an unavoidable ingredient of any fellowship.

Unfortunately, for most of us, anger is a problem. We know that anger can lead to destructive behaviors. Some of us have been on the receiving end of verbal and physical attacks from an angry person. And some of us have lashed out at others with our anger. So we fear anger because we have seen the destruction which results when anger leads to sin. We have seen how anger can damage relationships and lead to loneliness.

But anger does not have to be destructive. We can be angry without harming others. Anger can, in fact, be a constructive force in our lives. Anger alerts us to the fact that something is not right. As a result, anger can protect us and energize us to take constructive action.

The fellowship we need in recovery cannot always be conflict-free fellowship. There will be times of anger. And that can be a good thing.

I am afraid of anger, Lord.
But I know it can't be avoided.
Help me to acknowledge my anger
rather than hide from it.
Help me to use it in ways that are not destructive.
Let it energize me to risk and change and grow.
Help me to learn to live constructively with my anger.

Amen.

Copyright Dale and Juanita Ryan
National Association for Christian Recovery

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8 Characteristics of a real man

Moving from childish faith to childlike faith

Sunday Meditation

Live wisely

Choosing love

Setting guide rails in life

Now hiring a royal carriage driver! (a tale on temptation)

Party time!! (a short story about grace)

Bono on Grace and how it is different from Karma

Sunday Meditation

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