Mean Thoughts . . . Sharon Hodde Miller

I thought this was a great post by Sharon Hodde Miller (she is a fellow Her.meneutics writer).

Thanks Sharon!

http://sheworships.com/2011/07/06/mean-thoughts/

Bitter Anger Sloshing About

Have you ever felt trapped by certain circumstances and been chomping at the bit for a way of escape? I have and very recently. In my case, it was a matter of my soul turning sour, acidic. I knew that I was off because negativity was sloshing out of me and spilling onto others. I wasn't being mean to them. No, not at all. However, I was talking too much about my frustrations, frustrations that many of them share, but that had started to consume me.  My simmering anger was poisoning me and I fear starting to poison them.

My husband warned me about it the other night. I didn't deny it; I knew he was right. So, I repented then and there.

I am going to have to practice the discipline of silence on this one. Dallas Willard says that the discipline of silence is helpful because it frees us from managing our world through the use of words.

So, I've parked myself in the book of James. And James tells us that anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. My anger is not changing the injustice. But what if I watch and pray and see how God might work without my barrage of words? Without fueling my anger? What if I prayerfully speak when I am sure I have his words? I am not advocating keeping quiet when we should speak up.

But some of us need to learn to be quick to listen, to be slow in speaking and slow in becoming angry.

Our anger doesn't bring about God's righteousness. And sometimes we don't even realize we're angry. I didn't.