Take Captives...

As we become closer to God, our weaknesses become more apparent. Its not hard to see where we have fallen short. When compared to the living God... the perfect being... we always find ourselves lacking. Don't mistake this for a glorified pity party. Our recognition of our weakness comes hand in hand with the realization of God's amazing grace on us and the strength that He provides for us daily. However in that weakness we often find that our thoughts run wild.

I have always been one to immediately become frustrated with people. I would rather hit someone with a chair than actually deal with them. I don't like being slowed down. I don't like miss-communication. I don't like laziness or failure. Ironically all things I'm very guilty of. However, I tend to become impatient with people. I want them to get their crap together so I can move on with my life... this has never been a secret to me. I've always known of my inpatients but until Christ I never knew what to do with it. I could never process the irony of my failures being my greatest annoyance.

That is, until I understand the meaning of taking thoughts captive.

I'm a fighter. I'm a warrior. I like to break stuff. I like to bulldoze through things. I love overwhelming force. I love quick and decisive victory. So these words came to me with great weight. Take your thoughts captive... amazing. Imprison them. Don't let them run free. Keep them in a cage. Lock them away. I love it. Its a great idea. However... its unhealthy. You can't just lock stuff up and hope it goes away. You can't just bottle up emotion and frustration. It doesn't work. Eventually that coke can is going to blow up. Eventually I'll lose my patients.

Thats where things get tricky. Take them captive, and give them to Christ. Surrender them to Christ. Let Jesus take them and punish them accordingly. Let him take care of your stress and frustration. Let him deal with you in all your imperfectness. Thats what Hes really doing here. Hes dealing with you. Your pride. Your arrogance. Your temper. Let him do it. You suck at it. You can't deal with you. You're bigger than you can handle.

Thats genius! I can't deal with me! I'm too head strong! I'm too unbending! I'm too darn prideful! I'd rather punch me than talk to me! Let God do it. Let him deal with my unreasonable attitude. Let him deal with my temper. Hes probably a lot better at it, considering He made me.

This, has changed my life. I have learned that when my temper is let loose... or I start to become impatient or unreasonable... its time to get a little closer to the Lord. Its time to let God deal with my attitude. Intense worship of Him is the only way to deal with me. Demanding that my flesh submit to my God.

He always shows up. And He always helps me to understand myself, to deal with the root of the issue. To allow me the opportunity to put myself down and actually take up my cross. And when He does... my perspective begins to change. Suddenly I'm not so right. Suddenly I begin to really understand the situation. Its like a veil is lifted. Finally I can see. All I had to do was take captive my naive thoughts and hand them over to Christ to filter and understand. Its a great system. Take Captives.

Slow To Anger...

The NIV says: “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” [James 1:19] This of course being a mention of Godliness mentioned in [Psalm 145:8] “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.”

I find that I am not often, but on occasion known for being rather quick to anger. I have a quick fuse and while difficult to light, the fuse is very short…

The very idea that I feel entitled to become angry at any individual is absurd. I have sinned no less than them and I have been no less selfish than others… and yet I feel anger towards others when they display selfish desires… what a strange creature the human is.

Interesting that the Psalmist there uses love as a contrast to anger. You see, it is difficult to be angry at someone you feel love towards. I find that when my heart is full of love and my mind is meditating on love, I am truly slow to anger. My patients is increased exponentially…

If we can learn to slow our speech, to slow our anger, and rather walk in love towards each other on a regular basis we find that difficulties become so much smaller. You see, I have found that long hours of patients and grace can be easily destroyed by short minutes of anger and frustration. Let us then strive my friends to first attune our hearts and our minds to our God, before ever speaking or interacting with His children.