What I want? Or what God wants?

 

Some say ‘the truth hurts’ and will get angry if truth is pointed out to them. While I’m not too keen about doing the pointing, that is better  than being the one who gets angry when corrected because losing my temper is not usually a godly reaction:

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19–20)

Not long ago, someone said that prayer changes God’s mind so that we can get what we want. This shocked me. Does God give in when we don’t like what He is doing? I did not agree and was then asked, “What is the point of praying then?” This person was angry. I tried to explain that prayer changes us, not God. By praying, we learn the will of God and how to align our requests with His heart.

Perhaps that person began to think that God is not a genie in a bottle. I hope so, but the Bible does say, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). This incident made me more aware of the power of that old nature and wanting things our own way, even to the point of thinking God will grant our every wish.

MacArthur says there are people who drift from church to church in search of someone who will tell them what they want to hear. Some look for words and ideas that make them feel good about themselves instead of preaching that honors God and sets a high standard of holiness. Most pastors do not want a church with a revolving door, nor a congregation that becomes angry when they hear the truth about their sinfulness. However, it happened in early church history. For example, Stephen was a godly young man who preached the Gospel . . .

Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54–60)

It stings when someone gets angry at me. Sometimes I earn it by being callous or unkind, but it can happen when I point to the reality of sin and selfishness, or explain my own need for Jesus. Most would rather not hear that and just want a pat on the back. I get that. It feels good when someone recognizes the good in my life, but it hurts when their words convict me of my sin. However, anger is never helpful. Instead, God wants me to acknowledge the truth and confess my sin, relying on His forgiveness and His promise to cleanse me. He also wants me to glorify Him for all He is doing in my heart.

There is amazing grace when that happens. Yesterday’s sermon deeply convicted me. I was extremely upset at seeing my guilt about something and confessed to God that His Spirit was telling me the truth. The blessing came a few hours later when I tried to remember what God said that made me feel so much lighter, and could not. He had taken away my bad attitude so thoroughly that I could not remember what it was!

PRAY: Jesus, this is not the first time You have done this. My old nature wants to be right all the time, but You want that attitude to be cast off, put to death, abandoned, even forgotten. I marvel at this change of heart, yet marvel even more that I cannot even go there — because I cannot remember where ‘there’ is. In the freedom of grace, You have wiped it away. You are utterly amazing.

THINK: Consider what 2 Timothy 4:1–5 says to His servant, Timothy. I’m not a preacher, yet God also wants me to tell others what He is teaching me. As I do, I should not be surprised that some will be angry at hearing it. Like Timothy, I’m to not let the anger of others keep me from loving them and sharing what God says to me.