Nov 25 - Psalm 18:18 (A)

They attacked me

at a moment

when I was weakest,

but the Lord upheld me.

Psalm 18:18

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link"

That was our theme from yesterday. It was the warning that we are most vulnerable precisely at the "moment[s] when [we are] weakest."

To HALT our vulnerabilities, we are called to not let ourselves get too (H)ungry, too (A)ngry, too (L)onely, too (T)ired. Today we focus on ...

A

Anger is a sign of being driven by psychological or spiritual wounds.

And when does it flare up? Usually when our worth, our word, our competence, or the things we value have been called into question.

"Nothing's going right!" we may shout.

Anger comes (generally) from it's our inability to control events, people, or situations and events.

Control and worth are the twin pillars of most psyches. But that's an utterly worldly perspective. When we submit to God and trust that he's in control, then we don't have to fret so much over control (or our anger-producing lack of it).

Furthermore, when we deeply and truly realize that Jesus values us enough to die for us, then we see our value from his perspective and we quit having to depend on other people and the success of events to define our worth. And thus, judgmental people, unfavorable events, and personal insecurities have an increasingly declining ability to ramp up our reactions.

For those who know me, you may find it hard to believe that I used to have a pretty fiery temper. It was mainly insecurity. As my faith has grown and my identity has been more defined by Christ's assessment of me, I've become more secure and much more mild-mannered.

How about you? Do you see a trigger-point in today's discussion?

We all need constant reminders to find our identity in Christ.

In Christ's Love,

a former volcano

(usually quiet but with

occasionally embarrassing

eruptions)