JR. Forasteros - February 14, 2021
The Path of Wisdom
Knowing how to follow Jesus today can be complex and difficult - especially because our world of polarized politics, social media and technology is so foreign to the worlds of the Bible. That's why Scripture invites us to grow not in knowledge, but wisdom. How can we know the Jesus who is still with us, leading the way?
From Series: "From A to Z"
It's easy for us to compartmentalize faith. It's something we do on Sundays. Or in the morning. Or before a meal. But during this series, we're celebrating the whole story of God, how Jesus shows us who God is and what that means for us every day.
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What does it feel like when God is angry at you?
Off the cuff, you might wonder if hitting more red lights than usual is a sign of God’s wrath. But more seriously, when we hit hard times, it’s easy to feel like we made someone up there mad. When we get sick, or when we have one of those weeks, months or years when it’s one thing after another, we want to blame bad karma or say the universe is against us or question what we’ve done to make God mad at us.
It doesn’t help that, whenever tragedy strikes, there are plenty of pundits who want to make sure we know God’s to blame.
Every natural disaster, every national tragedy, you can find at least a few crazy Christians trying to explain how and why we’ve angered God so God threw a hurricane or tornado or airplane at us.
And in times of personal tragedy, that happens too. Well-meaning people put a gentle hand on our shoulder and ask if we are right with the Lord, implying that we’re probably not, and that’s why this is happening to us.
Is that what it looks like when God gets angry?
Well… no. Like all the best lies, this one has a grain of truth in it
But the idea that God is essentially Thor, throwing lightning bolts at those who cross him is just plain wrong. Understanding God like that makes us afraid, and it actually keeps us from responding correctly to God’s anger.
Let’s talk about what it looks like when God gets angry, and how we can respond to that anger. Because God’s anger – like every other aspect of God – arises from God’s love, a perfect love that casts out fear. And ultimately, God’s anger is about life and hope.
