Was it wrong for me to feel those emotions? I don't think so. Is it wrong for me to respond out of those emotions? Yes. Here's why...
My reading plan on YouVersion has me in 1 Corinthians right now, and today was chapter 13. That's right, the sappy love chapter that you hear at EVERY wedding that's ever taken place. The verses I hear most are 4-7 (Love is patient, love is kind, etc.) Surprisingly, these verses aren't what God used to shake me up tonight. Instead, God punched me square in the mouth with the first 3 verses in this chapter.
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
I 'm amazed at how clearly Paul communicated this message to the church in Corinth. He makes it seem so simple. No matter how much knowledge I have, how much money I give away, how many gifts or talents I've been given, it's all worthless without love. If I don't love, I am nothing.
God knew that I needed to hear this today. He knew that I'd been hurt and He lovingly told me that my response to that pain should not be bitterness or spite, but love.
Is it the end of the world because the decision mentioned above was made? Of course not. The sun will come up tomorrow and life will go on. This doesn't mean, however, that the emotions I felt weren't real or justified. So in the reality and the pain of the emotions that I'm feeling in this moment, I will choose love as my response.
People get hurt every single day, whether it's because of a decision that was made, a comment that was said, or the actions of someone close to you. That pain is real and I don't want to discredit that. The test in character and in faith comes in our response to that pain.
My challenge to you is this: the next time someone pisses you off, respond in love. This won't be easy to do. In fact, it's going to be EXTREMELY hard. However, I genuinely believe that if we do it, God will be right next to us...giving us strength, affirming us, and loving us.
Life is too short to live it angry. Love well.
James
