Anger

[MustardSeed]

34 minutes ago, Ahab said:

Good.  Nice to finally see you say something like this.

I’m not picking up what you’re laying down here. 

 

35 minutes ago, Ahab said:

my perspective, when someone says someone else is being arrogant, it is usually the person who is saying someone else is arrogant that is the one who is being arrogant.  Try instead to judge how you would want to be  judged

This is called projection.  If I’m projecting, then I need to address my arrogance.  I’ll take a look at it. 

 

36 minutes ago, Ahab said:

I can see that you have judged me unfairly, and even though it happens a lot and a lot of people do it, that does not excuse that type of judgment against another person.  

If it’s happening a lot, maybe there’s something there. 

[Ahab]

15 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

If it’s happening a lot, maybe there’s something there. 

Yes, a lot of incorrect and false judgments against me and my attitude.  I do speak boldly and I am confident about what I know God has told me, but it is not correct to say or think that I am overconfident or arrogant or in defiance of common sense.

I wish the whole world were as confident in their knowledge of God as I am, with their knowledge as an actual gift from God, himself.  But sadly that is not the case and a lot of people don't even understand how to get knowledge from God, or believe he is there to talk with.

[MustardSeed]

6 minutes ago, Ahab said:

Yes, a lot of incorrect and false judgments against me and my attitude.  I do speak boldly and I am confident about what I know God has told me, but it is not correct to say or think that I am overconfident or arrogant or in defiance of common sense.

I wish the whole world were as confident in their knowledge of God as I am, with their knowledge as an actual gift from God, himself.  But sadly that is not the case and a lot of people don't even understand how to get knowledge from God, or believe he is there to talk with.

Are you open to hearing about how you come across, socially? 

[Ahab]

21 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

Are you open to hearing about how you come across, socially? 

I've been told.  and misjudged.  And I've tried to explain and clarify my position.  Me "coming across" to somebody else involves not only me but also any person who is trying to interpret what they sense from me, using their own senses, which do not always sense correctly.

You're judging my emotions by my words, and I think all you are seeing is me speaking boldly about what I think and how I feel.  Being bold doesn't equate to being arrogant, or overconfident. And I do know myself better than some other person who doesn't know how I really think and feel, who is simply trying to get a sense of how I feel and what I think by the words I choose to use.

I do hear you, and I hear everyone else who misjudges me, too.  It's something I have learned to live with.  I'm not going to change to become some timid creature who doesn't speak directly and boldly about what I think and feel.

So what good do you think you could do to keep saying I am arrogant, in your opinion.  I already know you are wrong to think I am.  Do you know that yet? Are you ready to apologize to me for saying that or are you going to continue to talk to me that way?

Edited November 6, 2019 by Ahab

[MustardSeed]

29 minutes ago, Ahab said:

I've been told.  and misjudged.  And I've tried to explain and clarify my position.  Me "coming across" to somebody else involves not only me but also any person who is trying to interpret what they sense from me, using their own senses, which do not always sense correctly.

You're judging my emotions by my words, and I think all you are seeing is me speaking boldly about what I think and how I feel.  Being bold doesn't equate to being arrogant, or overconfident. And I do know myself better than some other person who doesn't know how I really think and feel, who is simply trying to get a sense of how I feel and what I think by the words I choose to use.

I do hear you, and I hear everyone else who misjudges me, too.  It's something I have learned to live with.  I'm not going to change to become some timid creature who doesn't speak directly and boldly about what I think and feel.

So what good do you think you could do to keep saying I am arrogant, in your opinion.  I already know you are wrong to think I am.  Do you know that yet? Are you ready to apologize to me for saying that or are you going to continue to talk to me that way?

I think I’ll end here. 

[Robert F. Smith]

5 hours ago, Ahab said:

Seems like everybody should think the same way in this regard.  And it does not involve any overconfidence, or any desire to try to defy common sense.

When God tells you something, are you ever open to having some other person change your mind about what it was that God told you?  

I mean, if God spoke to you and you understood what God said and what he meant when God spoke to you, how would some other person trying to get you to change your mind about what God said, and what you understood God to say, do you or that other person any good?

I'd be surprised to find out you are open to having someone change your mind about what God has told you.  Why would you ever want to do that?

I recently watched a beautiful prize-winning film about a Buddhist monk from China (Xuan Zang) who made a very difficult four-year journey to India to obtain original Sanskrit texts of his religion.  It is a true story, which takes place in the 7th century AD.  He was very determined and faithful, and even had visions.  People kept trying to get him to forget his perceived mission and to turn back, yet he did not compromise on his version of the truth.  We should respect that, but that does not mean that his version of reality was the ultimate truth.

 

[RevTestament]

On 11/4/2019 at 9:04 AM, Thinking said:

I disagree. I have witnessed people get angry when an injustice is done to another person.

Um, perhaps you didn't read the rest of my comments:

On 11/1/2019 at 7:35 AM, RevTestament said:

Hmm. This may lead to an interesting discussion. I have always considered anger to be a symptom of selfishness, and selfishness is generally sinful. We are not loving our neighbor as ourselves out of selfishness. We get angry when we are concerned about ourselves more than others. This is probably the reason Satan is who he is. He rebelled in anger - not wanting to lower himself to do things God's way. So, he has been ever angry about being denied.

*** So, anger might be an indicator of whether injustice is occurring or it may not. If we are getting angry for selfish reasons, it is an indicator of sin I think. What we think of as injustice is usually what our Savior expected us to endure in order to follow Him. I'll say that much to start off this conversation.

I didn't really address the situation of getting angry at injustice being done to another person, although I did mention the example of Yeshua at the temple. Just because it involves another person doesn't really mean it is for non-selfish reasons either. I am not going to get into a debate about what is unjust or not. You'll have to take that up with God.

[Islander]

On 11/1/2019 at 1:23 PM, MustardSeed said:

My most effective expression of anger has been to calmly say “what just happened has me angry, and xyz is what I would like to see happen.”

Even more effective is when I can understand the vulnerability behind the anger,like has been alluded to here.  But I personally disagree that anger is secondary.  It’s real, it’s primal, and though usually accompanied, it’s as legit as any other emotion. Imo.  I don’t think there is anything but professional opinion to refute mine- ? 

Very wise MS. But indeed, anger is rather a response rather than than a primal emotion. It is powerful like a tidal wave for some, irritation perhaps in a tamed form. But usually hurt and pain underlies anger if we dig deeper. But I digress.

What had begun as a service to the worshipers had, under the corrupt rule of the chief priests, degenerated into exploitation and usury. Religion had become external, crass, and materialistic; the temple of God had become a “robbers’ den” (Matt. 21:13).

His indignant words to those who were selling the doves, “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business,” applied to all who were polluting the temple and corrupting its intended purpose. His disciples remembered that it was written in Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 

What we have here is righteous indignation by the Lord because of the offense committed against His Father’s House. This is not selfish, personal anger triggered by anyone or anything directed at Him personally. This is His righteous indignation, flowing from total commitment to God’s holiness and, it revealed His true nature as the Judge of all the earth.

In Ephesians 4:26 we read: “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath…” Anger is a human emotion and as such we may not be able to curb the actual feeling. But what actions we undertake when angry speaks to what else is in our hearts and our response-ability to cope and deal with such emotions constructively and appropriately. We are directed to avoid any and all actions that would be sinful and contrary to the will of our Heavenly Father.

”Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?´ Matt. 5:43-47

It is a commandment from our Savior, not a suggestion and perhaps the most difficult thing we must do in order to be true disciples of Christ.

[Ahab]

4 minutes ago, Islander said:

This is not selfish, personal anger triggered by anyone or anything directed at Him personally. This is His righteous indignation, flowing from total commitment to God’s holiness...

We can have the same feelings of anger or indignation when we see people do what they should not do, too.  Like when a parent sees a child sin, or when a police officer responds when seeing someone committing a sin against any person.

Sin is something we should all abhor and hate.  And we should get angry when we see someone commit a sin against God even when it is not against God personally but against one of his children who is the target of someone's sin.

Our Lord is our Exemplar.  We should do what he does and be how he is, following our Father as he does, and following those who our Lord appoints over us to lead us.

He is not always angry, though, and we shouldn't always be angry either.  But there are times and places where anger is called for.  When being nice is not the best option.  When even God gets fed up with seeing the things some people will do.