Anger

The other day I had coffee with my friend Gene. I met Gene 6 years ago at a Wild at Heart small group he was conducting in his home. He's a great guy, awesome husband, father, grandfather, business owner just one of those guys you love to be around. He was our team leader on my last trip to India, so we've had a chance to spend a lot of time together.

During our conversation over coffee he looked me square in the eyes and asked me this question, "Are you angry?"

I replied, "I was last week but not today."

Without blinking an eye he said, "Yes you are. There is something going on right under the surface with you and you better figure it out. Being angry is like having vaseline on your glasses, you can't see anything and you can't just wipe it off you have to really work at cleaning it off." Then he went on to say, " If I were you I'd really study this anger thing, search scripture, books, websites, whatever it takes because if you don't you'll never be the man God wants you to be, your anger will block your vision.

I have been extremely busy these days with school and working several part time jobs to make ends meet, it seems that I don't have time to do everything I want to do. So as a result I've become resentful, negative, bitter, disgruntled, joyless. I've let the enemy use my busyness against me as an excuse to blame others for my own discontent.

Am I angry? I guess I am, I just couldn't see it.

Later that day he texted me this verse:

 Ephesians 4:30-32 (NIV)

 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

What would happen today if we called each other out on the things that are blocking our communion with God? What would happen if we really worked at cleaning the "vaseline" off our glasses and saw where God was leading us? What would happen today if we admitted our faults to God and another human being so they would no longer be on our shoulders?

What would happen today...?