Why Are You So Mad?

Good morning Preacher. Why are you mad?

It comes out in our driving, our dealing with our spouse or children, in our preaching, and in our general mood so that those around us “test” the water to see what kind of “you” they are going to get.  

I was driving down Port Royal Road today in our little town and a car almost hit my car.  I was rushed and going on little sleep and more than a tad frustrated with a boatload of junk.  I wanted to blow my horn, shake my fist, holler something as profane as I get - “Hey, watch where you are going.”   Then as I felt my blood pressure go up a point or two a thought hit me. Why did that bother me? It didn’t take a nano-second of my life, she didn’t pull out, and even if she had - I’ve done worse. And I wondered, how many other times have I wasted heartbeats and allowed my endorphins to be taxed over other such silly stuff. And, why do I get mad so easily?

So I made a short list: 

• Pressure: I’m not sure why I allow pressure to frustrate me but it is real. Deadlines, duties, and difficult dealings. 
• Hurt: Let’s face it, life hurts.  Somebody forgot to stamp “Fragile” on my forehead and I get hurt. Sometimes it’s by a mean member or an uncommitted leadership. 
• Sin in general: I get mad at sin but instead of pushing me to be more evangelistic I allow it to play itself out with anger toward sinners.  
• My own sin: Yes, I am mad because I really thought by now I would be over sin - not sure why I thought I was better than the Apostle (Romans 7; 1 Corinthians 9:27).
• Weariness: Lack of sleep, lack of recovering from one event after another bring on both tiredness AND weariness and make my fuse short. 

Preacher - your anger plays itself out in dealing with those you love most - your family. And in your preaching - instead of bringing the life-giving, hope-instilling, Good News you sound angry and that is ineffective.  What I need to remember is that none of these are greater than my God and that my job is to present His glorious Message in a manner that draws people to Christ.  

Mad is not a county I want to reside in, I'd rather not even pass through too often. It's not the healthiest place to be.  So this week, go out - breathe, pray, smile, rejoice - dial back the anger. I think you’ll find yourself feeling better and, more importantly, doing better.