But, you made me mad!
Posted by Colleene at 6/4/2008 5:51 AM and is filed under uncategorized 
"Now the Lord was angry with me on your account, and swore that I would not cross the Jordan, and that I would not enter the good land which the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land." (Deuteronomy 4:21-22)
I was studying through this chapter this morning and stopped on these 2 verses. I read them several times and found myself getting really upset with Moses. He blamed his sin on the people! How could he do that? He's writing Scripture ... how could he just blame his sin on someone else? Wait a minute! Whoah Colleene, before you get too mad at Moses, remember ...
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
Okay, with that in mind, I just finished with the book of Numbers. So, it was fresh in my mind the real reason Moses was punished by God and was not allowed to enter the promised land. "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12) So, I asked God, 'Why did Moses say this in the Scriptures? It seems like a lie? Why's it there?'
Have you ever heard anyone say 'be careful what you pray for'?
God began to show me plenty of instances where I had rationalized my sin because of something done by someone else in my proximity. I'm a reactor, taking in what others do and behaving in ways that reflect my perception of their behavior towards me. (Boy, that's a self-centered sentence! But it's true!) Unfortunately, many times, my reactive behavior is worldly rather than godly. There are times when I immediately know I've sinned and I'm on my face before God seeking forgiveness. Other times, I rationalize my behavior or thoughts based on the wrong assumption that 'I didn't deserve that', or 'he/she made me mad'. How silly! I mean, when you really sit and think about that, isn't it silly?
First of all, I don't deserve anything but eternal damnation and the wrath of God. I'm a sinner, through and through. Wicked to the core without the redemptive work of Christ in my heart. I don't deserve any special treatment from God, or anyone He's created. Secondly, no one can "make" me mad. No one can force me to feel or display any emotion. The emotions I feel and display are an overflow of what lies within my heart. If godliness, love, forgiveness, gentleness, meekness ... the righteousness of Christ lie there, my emotions and reactions will be Christ-like, selfless, and glorifying to God in all circumstances. If sin lies within my heart, however, explosions of anger and wicked hateful thoughts will abide.
When I sin, I would do well to pray as David did, saying, "Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:4-5) If soneone does or says something that is an irritation to me, or causes me hurt of some kind, I am responsible before God to honor Him with my behavior. If I react in a self-centered, worldly display of bent emotion, then I sin against Christ who redeemed me and lives within me. Further,if I then rationalize my sin claiming 'but, you made me mad!', then I sin more gravely, as Moses did in Deuteronomy 4, casting blame for my sin upon another.
Oh Lord, create in me a heart that is clean and humbled. May I take full responsibility for my sin and fall on my face before Your holiness, knowing that You have all power to cleanse. Come Holy Spirit and fill me, giving me the ability to remain grounded in Christlikeness at all times, rejecting the tremendous fleshly urge to react to my surroundings in fits of varying worldly emotion. Make my mind to be honest with myself and others, seeing my estate clearly, that I may ever know my deep need for Your grace at every moment.
I was studying through this chapter this morning and stopped on these 2 verses. I read them several times and found myself getting really upset with Moses. He blamed his sin on the people! How could he do that? He's writing Scripture ... how could he just blame his sin on someone else? Wait a minute! Whoah Colleene, before you get too mad at Moses, remember ...
"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
Okay, with that in mind, I just finished with the book of Numbers. So, it was fresh in my mind the real reason Moses was punished by God and was not allowed to enter the promised land. "But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:12) So, I asked God, 'Why did Moses say this in the Scriptures? It seems like a lie? Why's it there?'
Have you ever heard anyone say 'be careful what you pray for'?
God began to show me plenty of instances where I had rationalized my sin because of something done by someone else in my proximity. I'm a reactor, taking in what others do and behaving in ways that reflect my perception of their behavior towards me. (Boy, that's a self-centered sentence! But it's true!) Unfortunately, many times, my reactive behavior is worldly rather than godly. There are times when I immediately know I've sinned and I'm on my face before God seeking forgiveness. Other times, I rationalize my behavior or thoughts based on the wrong assumption that 'I didn't deserve that', or 'he/she made me mad'. How silly! I mean, when you really sit and think about that, isn't it silly?
First of all, I don't deserve anything but eternal damnation and the wrath of God. I'm a sinner, through and through. Wicked to the core without the redemptive work of Christ in my heart. I don't deserve any special treatment from God, or anyone He's created. Secondly, no one can "make" me mad. No one can force me to feel or display any emotion. The emotions I feel and display are an overflow of what lies within my heart. If godliness, love, forgiveness, gentleness, meekness ... the righteousness of Christ lie there, my emotions and reactions will be Christ-like, selfless, and glorifying to God in all circumstances. If sin lies within my heart, however, explosions of anger and wicked hateful thoughts will abide.
When I sin, I would do well to pray as David did, saying, "Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." (Psalm 51:4-5) If soneone does or says something that is an irritation to me, or causes me hurt of some kind, I am responsible before God to honor Him with my behavior. If I react in a self-centered, worldly display of bent emotion, then I sin against Christ who redeemed me and lives within me. Further,if I then rationalize my sin claiming 'but, you made me mad!', then I sin more gravely, as Moses did in Deuteronomy 4, casting blame for my sin upon another.
Oh Lord, create in me a heart that is clean and humbled. May I take full responsibility for my sin and fall on my face before Your holiness, knowing that You have all power to cleanse. Come Holy Spirit and fill me, giving me the ability to remain grounded in Christlikeness at all times, rejecting the tremendous fleshly urge to react to my surroundings in fits of varying worldly emotion. Make my mind to be honest with myself and others, seeing my estate clearly, that I may ever know my deep need for Your grace at every moment.
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