Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. — Ecclesiastes 7:9 (NIV)
On Thanksgiving Eve, the nation was shocked by the brutal ambush of three West Virginia National Guard members serving in Washington DC. At the time of this writing, two have died while a third victim clings to life after taking a bullet to the brain.
Just hours before a beloved national holiday dedicated to gratitude and love, we were shocked by this heinous act of violence.
It was one more painful reminder that the world we live in is deeply broken, yet how do we face that reality and move forward?
In his book Unoffendable,* Brant Hansen explains how we can balance the fact that our world is fallen, yet realize God’s grace is still at work.
“A few days ago, there was a funeral for a friend of mine. Jerry was a doctor who served the poor in Afghanistan and in Chicago. After arriving for work at CURE International’s hospital in Kabul, he was shot and killed by a rogue Afghan police officer.
I cried when I heard about Jerry’s death. It still hurts. I love him. But I cried again, in awe, when I saw his wife, Jan, forgiving his killer just a day after it happened. ‘We don’t know the backstory,’ she said. And Jerry had been working there, because he knew Jesus loves the people of Afghanistan.
Amazing.
Yes, the world is broken. But don’t be offended by it. Instead, thank God that He’s intervening in it, and He’s going to restore it to everything it was meant to be. His kingdom is breaking through, bit by bit. Recognize it, and wonder at it.
War is not exceptional; peace is. Worry is not exceptional; trust is. Decay is not exceptional; restoration is. Anger is not exceptional; gratitude is. Selfishness is not exceptional; sacrifice is. Defensiveness is not exceptional; love is.
And judgmentalism is not exceptional…
But grace is.
Recognize our current state, and then replace the shock and anger with gratitude. Someone cuts you off on your commute? Just expect it. No big deal. Let it drop, and then be thankful for the person, that exceptional person, who lets you merge. See the human heart of what it is, adjust expectations, and be grateful, not angry.
(…) When we recognize our unsurprising fallenness and keep our eyes joyfully open for the glorious exceptions, we’re much less offendable.
Why? Because that’s the thing about gratitude and anger: they can’t coexist. It’s one of the other.
One drains the very life from you. The other fills your life with wonder.
Choose wisely.”
Make it real: Next time you feel angry, or are temped to be angry, stop and think of something to be thankful for, especially as it relates to that difficult situation. Maybe you’re mad at work. Then thank God that at least you have a job. Maybe you’re irritated that your child is in the way. Stop and be thankful you have a child. Try it for yourself. Is it possible to be mad and thankful at the same time?
*pages 38,39,41,42.
S.D.G./S.G.D.
