God isn't the issue? Who is? Your
parents? Tom, Dick and Harry?
Why isn't God the issue? Okay, He
isn't responsible for what happened.
He isn't the one that made you mad.
Yet, why isn't He the issue? Not
the problem, but the answer.
You want to follow through on your
anger. You want to go through the
stages of your anger, that you're
entitled to feel. You want Tom to
know that you're mad. You want Tom
to feel guilt and remorse. You want
Tom to feel punished. Okay, that's
a human response. Think about this.
While in your stages of anger, sorrow,
etc., what motions does your brain go
through? Do you feel stress? A
headache? How about your body? Do
you feel tension in your muscles?
Does your neck stiffen up? Now, let
me ask you, what is your reward for
following through on those negative
reactions? Where is the peace and
satisfaction that you were seeking?
Again, let me ask. Why isn't God the
issue. You had absolutely no relief
from following your own action/reaction.
On your own, you failed. There was
nothing for you to gain. Absolutely
nothing!
Let's put God in the mix now. God
would let you feel your emotions. He
wouldn't control what you think or how
you may react, yet He would show you
another way. Instead of feeling so
angry, He would give you an understanding
of what the issue really was, of what Tom
was trying to say. He would teach you
acceptance, to help you be aware that no
one is perfect. With others imperfection
we see an opportunity for that person to
learn and to grow. We would understand
that Tom wasn't doing anything to harm us,
or cause us to be angry. Tom was just
being Tom. That Tom is probably working
on issues too. That Tom is human.
Our feelings and emotions now would be
patience and understanding. We would
be able to slow ourselves down, to walk
with Tom, to maybe help him on the way.
We could feel good knowing that we were
there when he needed a friend. Our
minds would feel alive and free. Our
bodies would feel relaxed!
Isn't it amazing that our immediate reaction
to something, actually dictates how our minds
will react, how our body will feel, how our
thoughts do flow. If we were to slow our
reactions down a bit, we could see more of
what is actually happening, what the truth
actually is.
Our way? Issues of pain, anguish, anger,
sorrow, pride, punishment, guilt, confusion.
God's way? Freedom, understanding, patience,
forgiveness, acceptance and love.
So, why isn't God the issue?
God's Word
