May 20. Let Love Push Or Pull.

Anger, it is an intriguing emotion. I am not a trained mental health expert, but I think I know where anger comes from. Anger seems to come from a separation of our expectation with the reality of what is now. Many times, it is delivered to a person who serves as the messenger of that difference.

I call that difference the spread. It seems like the bigger that spread or the longer that spread is, the more anger one can feel. Does it work that way with you? As leaders of teams, we might be well advised to remember that anger is not what is going to close the spread.

Two ways to close the spread is changing the perception or setting new and different expectations. When is the last time you felt some anger about your team, your financial affairs, driving on the roadway or your personal relationships? Can you define or see the spread of the situation?

What is the first thing you can do about it in the next seven days?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, here is a serious question. Did Christ get angry? Do you think of love when you ponder about anger? They do not seem to be words that belong in the same sentence or even paragraph. So, if Jesus stood so much for the concept of love, how could he get angry?

But he did! He had anger in the temple with the money changers, in the garden when people would not stay awake and in John 11:33. We read that a deep anger welled up in Jesus about the people's actions when Lazarus died. The spread occurred. It appears to me that his expectations were not the reality of the moment.

It might be that he was wanting others to believe in him, to trust in him. Mary and Martha had seemingly restricted their belief that Jesus had to be present to save Lazarus. Jesus does not have to be present to miraculously change things. Our faith and trust in him can do that.

But the lack of meeting the expectations on Jesus’ part did not keep him from his why. He could dispense with his anger it seems and he helped Lazarus arise from death. The last time you got angry did it take you off track? Where might you have gotten angry in the last thirty days?

What can you do in the next seven days to get on track and close the spread?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you have shown us love and examples of anger. The Bible is riddled with anger in people. It speaks of your anger as well. Help us to close the spread of expectation and relieve the anger.

May love act as the power from both ends of the spread to push anger out so that it does not exist for now. Thank you for your blessings, thank you for your sacrifice for us, thank you for your love. Let love push this very moment, this very day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen,