A humbling interview on Fri where I was asked to "get out" not once... but twice... Utterly humiliated. Honestly speaking, I was rather shaken by the experience. I was fuming with anger as I walked back to my office. I couldn't stand the bad attitude of the director. I didn't deserved to be treated like this. My ego was deflated. Certainly, it ruined my day. Now why was I angry? What stirred my frustration? I narrowed it down to one word. Rejection. The interviewer had rejected me. He didn't accept me.
Genesis 4:4-5 says, " The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected." This is the first guest appearance of 'Anger' in the Bible... which will then pop up 400 more times. Both Abel and Cain had heard God's instructions. And when Abel brought the best parts of a firstborn from his flock, he did so out of obedience to what he had heard. And when Cain brought "some food" from the ground, he was acting out of disobedience and defiance. Surely he had heard what Abel had heard. He knew what Abel knew. But still he was angry that God returned his sacrifice unopened. God warned him to be careful of his anger. God asked Cain," Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you must rule over it." But Cain had other plans. He told to Abel to go out into the fields. While they were out in the fields, Cain attacked his brother, Abel and killed him." (Gen 4:3-8)
Cain gave up. He gave up on God and submitted to himself to sin. And he took it out on Abel.
So if rejection causes hurt and anger, wouldn't acceptance cure it? If rejection by heaven makes you mad at others, wouldn't acceptance from heaven stir your love for them? Luke 7:47 tells us, "He who is forgiven little loves little." We see another biblical character Paul whose attitude took a 360 degree turnabout after he personally met with Christ. Before that encounter, Paul 'destroy the church' ... 'going from house to house, he dragged men and women and put them in prison.'(Acts 8:2), habouring a deep hatred for anyone who preached Christ. A No.1 enemy of God turned out to be one of the greatest evangelist and church-builders the world has ever seen. He's the one who gives us the timeless definition of love. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor 13:7-8). His heart contains only love. Even for his enemies. People who hated him wished he was dead. His accusers beat him, stoned him, jailed him and mocked him. But can you find one occasion when he responded in kind? One anger outburst? One complaint? This is a different man. His anger is gone. His passion is unquenchable. His dedication is unquestioned. Rash flare-ups of rage? A thing of the past. What made the difference? He encountered Christ.
"You life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3). Whenever the Father looks down on you, what does he see? He sees his Son, the perfect Lamb of God, hiding you. Through Christ, God has accepted you and I. Think for a moment what this means. You cannot keep people from rejecting you. But you can keep rejections from enraging you. How? By letting His acceptance reimburse for their rejection.
Think of it this way. By the window sill of your office, you kept a single, bright yellow lily. You love lilies. You took it out of the sun and displayed it proudly atop your cubicle in the office for others to admire its beauty. This morning, your boss summoned you to her office. A mistake in the report you submitted last week. You're given an earful. Must be that Rosie who altered the formulae on my Excel spreadsheet. Not your fault right? Petal picked. You're blamed for someone else's error. Not exactly the best way to start a Monday. 4 petals left. Someone gossiped about you having a fling with a colleague from another department. 3 petals. During lunch, someone accidentally stepped on your foot while queueing for food. 2 petals. After lunch, your boss informed you that Rosie was chosen over you to go to London to pitch to those high net-worth clients you've been wanting to solicit. A trip you so badly wanted to go. By the end of the day, you are down to one. Bad hair day uh? An understatement definitely. You're only one petal away from a major blowup.
What if the scenario was changed slightly? You've a neighbour who owns a florist shop just across the street where you lived. Every night on the way home, he stops at your place and gives you a fresh, undeserved and irrresistable bouquet of your favorite lillies. These aren't leftover flowers that he can't sell. They're the top breed. You don't know why he thinks so highly of you but you aren't complaining. It's free, isn't it? Your apartment is now filled with the sweet fragrance of lillies. Your pot of liliy at the office is messed up. Never mind that. You've got a whole bunch to replace it! The difference is enormous. Do you think God can and will heal your angry heart? God will hand-deliver you a bouquet of flowers to your doorstep every day. Take it! It's yours to keep. When rejections come, you won't be left short-petaled. Anger does nothing, but robs you of the joy of living.
Do what Terry did. Years ago, a very stressful job stirred up within him daily bouts of frustration and anger. He had a tree at his driveway. It used to be tall. Then it lost a few limbs. And after some time, it was nothing but a stump. "That was me." Terry explained. "I took my anger on the tree. I kicked it. Took an axe and chopped at it. I didn't want to come home mad, so I left my anger at the tree." His family didn't recalled any outburst of rage during those years.
Take the flowers. Take out your anger at the tree on the hill of Calvary. Receive from him so that you can love or at least put up with the imperfect people of this world we live in. He's not frowning. He loves you from the day you are in your mother's womb. I've already forgiven the one who wounds me. Haven't you done the same yet? Take a long drink from His well of limitless love... and simmer down.
