Angry? What's At Stake

And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry. – Ephesians 4:26 (NLT)

Almost every day for the past two months, I’ve woken up with a headache. The intensity has ranged anywhere from mild - where I could press my fingers into my temple and back of my head to make it go away within about 10 minutes – to a full-blown migraine that kept me in agonizing pain for several hours, even with medication.

After a while, pain gets old. I feel myself getting grumpier. Irritable. Angry. I want to go back to the way things used to be, when I awoke pain-free and enjoyed the early morning hours. When my days began with a smile, rather than a wince.

In the same way chronic pain, exacerbated by rheumatoid arthritis “flares,” can grate on my nerves, so hardships of other kinds can trigger the same type of emotional flare-ups in all of us. Financial uncertainty. Broken relationships. Unemployment. Rising healthcare costs. Political change. Social injustice. Crime. Terror Attacks. War. These are just a few of the issues facing the world today that are creating not just fear, but anger.

We want to go back to the way things used to be, when we awoke care-free and looking forward to the day ahead. When we weren’t on edge, waiting for the next shoe to drop. When we weren’t so weary from what seems like an endless struggle.

There is no way to go backwards in time, however; only forward. Nor can we get around the issues we are facing; we must work through them.

God never tells us not to feel anger. He tells us to “be angry and yet do not sin.” What does that mean for us? How does anger lead to sin, and how do we avoid it? The answer lies in one tiny verse, found in Ephesians 4.

The New Living Translation of the Bible translates “be angry and yet do not sin” as “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” The key is in that one little word: control.

Every day, we have a choice. We can let our emotions control us, or we can be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

When I am controlled by anger, my attitudes and actions will be in direct conflict with those evident when my life is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 points out that a Spirit-controlled life results in good fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.

I don’t know about you, but when I am consumed by anger about anything, it is hard to find much joy or peace. My actions don’t end up being very loving, either. My grumpiness turns into impatience, and what comes out of my mouth isn’t usually very kind. While on a “good” day, I might be quite humble and self-controlled, when I am seething in anger, I am likely to lose my temper and lash out at others with a prideful spirit. After all, if everything went my way, then everything would be just fine, right?

Hmmm. There’s that original sin again. Pride. That larger-than-life attitude that not only separates me from others, but separates me from God Himself. If only He would … Stinking thinking that flies in the very face of acknowledging Jesus as Lord. Yes, that feeling of absolute defiance and rebellion against His will, as if we know better. Living in anger causes us to not only doubt God’s goodness, but it leads us to think our world would surely be a better place if we were just running the show. Like that has really worked for us so far.

Control. It’s the very thing we grasp for, and yet also the very thing that holds us back from everything we want. 

Letting go – and letting God – is the only answer.

Then there's the next part of the verse, "Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” What's that all about?

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus suggests that in dealing with troubled emotions such as anger or worry, we contain them to just one day at a time. “Do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.”

God knows we are going to have troubles in this world. He acknowledges it. And He knows our human nature is to get angry and worry. He also knows something we often forget: He is in control.

We do not have to worry or fret in order for things to work out. 

In fact, He makes it clear that worrying and being consumed by anger is a waste of our time and energy, distracting us from the very good He has called us to do.

“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Jesus reasons, in Matthew 6:27.

I don’t have a spare hour in my day. If I did, I would want to spend it loving and laughing. Spending time with friends and family. Making the world a better place. Worrying will not give me that time. Staying in anger will take it away.

Are you willing to sacrifice love … joy … peace … on the altar of anger?

I’m not.

So today, I will do as Jesus says.

Today, I will believe that God cares.

I will accept the things I cannot change.

I will change the things I can.

I will pray for the wisdom to know the difference.

And I will tackle my life just one day ... one hour ... one precious moment ... at a time.

Are you carrying around a heavy load of anger and resentment today? Lay down your burden at Jesus’ feet. Believe that God cares for you and will meet your needs. Do not fear, for He will never leave nor forsake you! Let go and let God.

Angry? What's At Stake originally appeared on Spring Sight blog, by Linda W. Perkins. Click here for more posts. Get even more encouragement by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

Many of Spring Sight's posts can also be found each week on Crystal Storms' #IntentionalTuesday,  Kelly Balarie's #RaRaLinkUp,, Holly Barrett's Testimony Tuesday, Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth and Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday.

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God's Answer to Your Prayer

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid." - John 14:27

As I write this, there is a tear on my cheek. It is one of several tears I cried as I read someone’s blog about a loved one who is dying from cancer. I had never heard of the couple until recently, when others were talking about their situation, but you may know them. Joey and Rory. A country music duo who went from writing songs for others to being in the spotlight as performers in their own right. A couple whose life of love, faith and family has resonated in the hearts of their fans … and who now face the most daunting challenge of their 13-year marriage.

As I read Rory’s blog post from November 9, 2015, I was struck by the title, “An answer to prayer.” Many might have concluded that this was a celebratory post announcing God’s miraculous healing of Joey. It wasn’t. Joey’s pain had become so bad that they decided to focus on making her comfortable for her last days on this earth. It was time for hospice.

“Not the answer we hoped for … but the answer He has given us,” Rory wrote.

How many of us have been there? We hope. We pray. We believe for the miracle. The answer comes, but it’s not the answer we want.

Sometimes, the burden of an “unanswered” prayer is too much. We seek understanding through the world’s eyes and find none. We scream and cry out to God, “Why were you silent?” “Why didn’t you do something?!”

If we continue to cry out in anger, our hearts may grow cold and bitter. The love that was there – for God, for others, even for ourselves – disappears, hidden beneath the scars. We lose ourselves in the belief that we should never hold out hope again, and so we never find it.

There is another response, however.

“Joey is at peace with where she is and where she’s going. So am I,” Rory concludes.

It’s faith in God’s bigger plan.

Our best hope is for God’s peace. The peace that passes understanding. The peace that only He can give. 

Through the world’s eyes, our circumstances may seem tragic. The death of a loved one. A divorce. A job loss. A diagnosis.

But God doesn’t view our circumstances the way we often do. He sees what we don’t. He knows what we fail to grasp: that sometimes the beauty is in the very ashes themselves. That what lies beyond the pain of our current circumstance is so much better, He is willing to allow us to suffer momentarily in order to birth a bigger dream for us … in this life or the next.

God is willing to allow us to suffer momentarily in order to birth a bigger dream for us … in this life or the next.

When I look back at my life, I remember the pain I felt when God said “no.” When He didn’t heal my first marriage, and it failed. When He didn’t heal my father, and he died. When He didn’t heal me, and I live with the daily pain of migraines and rheumatoid arthritis.

What I also see is the blessing in all of it.
I see the new marriage God has given me, and all the joy it contains. A healthy marriage, built on a more solid foundation. I see the blessing of my father no longer suffering with cancer, at home with his Father in heaven, while my mother is blossoming in her new life with her grief slowly but surely diminishing. And I see the opportunity I have to draw closer to God and to others, as I walk through my journey with chronic illness. It is not the life I had before. It has its challenges. And yet, even in the midst of pain, I can count on little moments of sunshine that never fail to peek through the clouds. I have hope. I have peace. I have joy.

An answer to prayer.

What is your prayer today? Will you trust God’s goodness enough to find peace in His answer, even if it’s not what you’re hoping for? 

God's Answer to Your Prayer originally appeared on Spring Sight blog, by Linda W. Perkins. Click here for more posts. Get even more encouragement by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

Many of Spring Sight's posts can also be found each week on Crystal Storms' #IntentionalTuesday,  Kelly Balarie's #RaRaLinkUp,, Holly Barrett's Testimony Tuesday, Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth and Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday.

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Finding Shelter - God as My Refuge

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"
- Psalm 91:1-2

It's happened two out of the last three years. Our fall getaway - a special tradition established at the very beginning of our relationship, designed to be a time to relax physically and reconnect emotionally - has been marred by pain.

Today, as we get ready to head to the little country cabin hideaway we picked out for this year's trip, I wonder ... will it happen again?

I'm trying to stay positive. The last few times, we had lots of extraneous events and stress leading up to the weekend, something I used as a reasonable explanation for my outrageous headaches, facial pain, and malaise. This year, we built in a buffer. My deadlines and parenting stress ended yesterday, and we're not leaving for a few hours. Yay! Relaxation mode is beginning to kick in.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that I've been in a roller coaster of RA flares for the past couple of months. Migraines. Neck pain. Sore hands and feet. A swollen knee. And of course, the never ending battle of fatigue.

Today, I was lucky. My headache dissipated on its own.

When I wake up tomorrow in that little cabin, will I cheerfully greet the day with a smile and be able to enjoy going out on the covered porch to take in all the beauty of the fall leaves and mist rising up from the lake? Or will I be desperately pressing my fingers into my temples and the back of my neck, as I lay in the dark, covers over my head, praying for relief to come before my head explodes into full-blown migraine mode?

I'm hoping for the first scenario, but prepared for the second. Armed with healthy foods, a small stock of pain meds, and a positive attitude, I know one thing for sure: something good will come out of this!

Last year, I spent most of my time in the cabin. But the time I spent out in my kayak ... those few, precious moments of soaking in God's creation and enjoying time with my "bestie" ... were the best moments of the year. It was then I realized that with chronic illness, there is no permanent reprieve. There is no set schedule. There is no assurance of things to come.

What there is assurance of, however, is that God is there in the midst of it all. What is a "shelter" but something to shield us from the storms of life? What is a "refuge" but a place to go when trouble is near? What is the value of "rest" if not for our tired, weary bodies and souls?

Whether I'm working through my daily life challenges or on "vacation," I have a choice: I can struggle, or I can rest. I can fight, or I can find refuge.

Instead of asking myself "Will this year be different?" I am choosing to ask "What will I do differently this year?"

Today, I am choosing serenity: to change the things I can and accept the things I cannot. I cannot predict what will be. But I can choose with Whom I will walk on the journey. And that One is my rest, my refuge, no matter what the days ahead hold.

Are you taking shelter in the shadow of the Most High God? Are you allowing Him to give you rest and refuge, even in the midst of pain? Remember, He will never leave you. Just take hold of His hand.

Finding Shelter - God as My Refuge originally appeared on Spring Sight blog, by Linda W. Perkins. Click here for more posts. Get even more encouragement by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. 

Many of Spring Sight's posts can also be found each week on Crystal Storms' #IntentionalTuesday,  Kelly Balarie's #RaRaLinkUp,, Holly Barrett's Testimony Tuesday, Arabah Joy's Grace & Truth and Woman to Woman's Word Filled Wednesday.

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