What makes you angry?
Is it long lines? Slow drivers? Running out of food or coffee?
A couple years ago, a horse pooped all over the front of our brand new van. That made me angry.
We all get angry. But the problem isn’t anger. The problem is we get angry at the wrong things. Maybe we get angry at things we shouldn’t get angry about and don’t get angry about things we should get angry about.
Are we getting angry about things that won’t matter in 20 years? Are we not getting angry about things that actually matter for eternity?
More than 1.7 million North Carolina residents are poor, more people than the entire population of New Hampshire. And more than half a million of those poor are children – one out of every four children in the state.
Charlotte is in the top 10 cities for human trafficking. Average age? 13 years old.
1278 students dropped out of Charlotte public schools last year. 242 girls dropped out to take care of their babies. 137? To make $ for their family.
Every night in Charlotte, 7,000 kids live on the street.
1 in 28 children has a parent behind bars. 2 in 5 inmates lack a high school diploma.
10% of adults 65 yrs or older live in poverty.
Does this make you angry? Does it get your blood pumping?
You see, I think God wants us to have a kind of ‘divine frustration’, or as Bill Hybels says, a ‘holy discontent.’
I think this is what Jesus had when he discovered the temple had been turned into a shopping mall, or a ‘den of robbers.’ He turned over tables and offered a harsh rebuke. Let’s be clear: this was not a selfish kind of anger. One that violates of our personal desire and preferences. Anyone can have that. Instead, it was more of a righteous anger, which doesn’t come as easily. A kind of anger deeply rooted in truth and conviction. This kind takes awhile to mature and develop.
The more we have righteous anger, the less we have selfish anger. The angrier we are about homeless kids, the less angry we are at long lines. The angrier we are about high school dropouts, the less angry we are at slow drivers. The angrier I am about human trafficking, the less angry I am when a horse poops on my van.
A challenge:
What do we need to stop getting angry about?
What do we need to start getting angry about?
What do we need to keep getting angry about?
If God is nudging you to do something with your righteous anger, I’d recommend partnering with a local ministry below:
Homeless (The Harvest Center @ www.theharvestcenter.org)
Trafficking (Compassion To Act @ www.compassiontoact.org)
Poverty (Matthews Help Center @ www.matthewshelpcenter.org)