What's my problem?

Lots

Thank God for grace

A tricky thing that I've had to deal with this year as a christian is discouragement, burden, and anger. Biblically, to be subject to any of these is not a sin. More often, it seems that Christians feel that discouragement from others is a sign of their maturity, the sharing of burdens their righteousnes, and their anger biblically justified.

In studying about anger, I've found that, just like everything else, it isn't existance that's the problem, but how that existance is dealt with. Bad news for me : T. I wish that anger just wasn't an issue. My prayers would go like, "God, please increase my patience, my understanding, and my wisdom so thing like such and such don't happen or can be avoided." But God says in the bible that those things will happen and can't be avoided, so deal with them in a way that would be glorifying.

I had memorized Ephesians 4:26, but verse 27 is the second part and pretty important.

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun

go down on your anger,

and give no opportunity to the devil

In the words (well similar) of Rick Holland, God has never had a speech impediment. Meaning the bible is clear. So yes clearly, be angry, sure BUT do not sin. I think the structure goes like this.

God tells us what we can and (when called for) should do: be angry

Then he tells us in light of that, what not to do: do not sin, give no opportunity to the devil

Beyond that we are told how to do that: do not let the sun go down on your anger

Similarly I found in Psalm 4:4

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in

your own hearts on your beds,

and be silent. Selah.

Briefly, this passage gets even more specific in exhorting us to be silent in our anger. Or rather, not to retaliate. Such as when Christ tells us to turn the other cheek. Such is the way that we are to approach our anger, with control.

Similarly, being discouraged, or bearing a lot of burden is not the problem, but how I address the presence of those in my life. I wish I had more discernment. Do i rebuke? Thats difficult because there's few people I can rebuke with the right heart. Do I ask the pastors? I can't always rely on them 24/7. Do I pray (i was about to type "only pray" but what greater thing can you do?)? Do i stop bearing others burdens? Do I isolate myself from these people for the sake of my own growth? Do I struggle and persevere even through failure? What do I do Lord?

Indeed its as simple as trust and obey, but I'm an engineer, I must fix things, I must make things better always. And that conflicts with my trust and the fact that I am incapable of resolving everything.

Aish

trust

obey

thank you ^^

*edit: that is not to say I'm only on the receiving end. I need to work on not being a discouragement and in dealing out all my burdens.