God asked a guy a question that is recorded way back in the beginning...
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?" Genesis 4:6
And that question has got me thinking...
Why was indeed Cain angry?
Why am I sometimes angry?
I hope this doesn't come across as too simplistic of a thought, of an answer to that question?
I wonder if being angry is many times a symptom? When I am angry am I just frustrated or disappointed?
And is that frustration and disappointment simply manifesting itself as an emotion called anger?
Cain was angry because his offering wasn't as 'good' as his brothers.
The emotion manifest was just an outworking or overflow of what was going on in his heart at the time. Maybe it had been brewing for a while and this was the latest thing to tip him over the edge into anger?
When I am angry and then get a moment to think about why, I have many times realised that what made me angry was not the thing at all.
I had pent up frustration about something else.
Disappointment in regard to some other area of my life.
So when God asks me "why are you angry?", I wonder if God is hoping I will take a breath, take a moment to reflect, and work out with him what is really going on inside?
This week can I encourage you that if you are angry about something, don't hide from it or quickly try to justify it?
Take a moment for you and God and pray/talk it through.
See if God shows the root of your frustration and then deal with that.
Something to think about...
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