Guarding the line between frustration amidst circumstance caused the effects of sin of others and appropriate gentleness and caution which commends the character of God is an ongoing challenge for those called to live in the world and not act like the world in fallen instinct.
God silences the roaring of the seas (Psalm 65:7) for the believer, but sometimes the “roaring of the waves” happens within us, the tumult is internal and his people as we fight against and see so much that is wrong around us and the pain being caused.
What does the bible direct of us ?
Psalm 4:4
Be angry, and do not sin:
ponder in your own hearts on your beds and be silent.
There is appropriate frustration in a broken world, and there is appropriate desire for judgement and justice. Many of our friends who work on the frontline of mission see the very worst of humanity which can be so distorted and perverted that it appears subhuman. Mankind has an incredible capacity to be inhumane to fellow man. As the bible asserts… our hearts are deceitful and wicked beyond our understanding. What then do we do when we see sin causing pain to untold people, when children are used and abused, when people are trafficked or controlled and forced to using their bodies and daily losing any dignity they have left for income, when those who pretend to be spiritual carers act only in their own best interest and not for the welfare of those they are called to serve ? Then there are the many other subtle issues of people getting what they want and causing untold pain to many others in doing so.
Note the instruction of Psalm 4 to reflect and not just continue in hyper activity.
Some of us go to our beds routinely replaying the day so that we always win the rerun, thinking of what we should’ve done or said to make things go our way. Part of our mortal finiteness is that we have a limit to human created capacity in a way which God does not. We go to bed, but He never slumbers or sleeps. We can leave the big problems to the one who covers them 24/7 and for all eternity past present and future with His sovereign wisdom and understanding, but that should not be escapism, it should be submission in a cry for purity and more of His character outworked in us. Notice the emphasis of Psalm 4 to look to our situation (our hearts, our beds and our expressions) and deal with ourselves before we look to others. It echoes what Jesus said (Matthew 7:3-5)
When our saviour left the morally spotless and impenetrably Holy environment of glory, where God, his character and all he stands for / is working for is adored… he saw the same things but in searing clarity and colossal magnitude. He did it in a considered manner. How then should we respond ? How would God have us respond in a way out of consideration of His character which honours Christ and commends the character of God in a broken world?
28 generations before Christ (Matthew 1:17), David lived with the same tensions and pointed us to the need of Christ, one who would come as Servant King, pay for the sin of humanity and be exalted to rule and judge on the basis of His perfect character.
It is amazing how many psalms live in the tension of a broken world worthy of frustration, but yet to be resolved in judgment.
Psalm 37:11
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
JESUS Matthew 5:5-9
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of GOD.
Instincts are normal, but also can be cultivated.
As I sat to write this I stubbed my toe on the office chair. Was it normal to yelp in pain? Absolutely. Should I be so Holy that such a reaction is deemed inappropriate? Should I be in a white cassock and silent at such events and concentrate on making nice smelling lavender candles in a monastery or is that just another form of non-humanity / escapism from real life ?
It appears to me that David, and even more so Christ were 100% normal men. In fact Christ is the ultra human one we are copies of (Colossians 1:15 ) and although his normality has been twisted by our sin, and His makers hallmark sometimes is hard to see in us, we still have the DNA instincts of flesh made in the image of GOD. A broken world causes pain and the reaction internally is natural. Christ's response to death is tears, (John 11;45 ) because of all the brokenness that a sin saturated world brings human beings. He cries for the relational pain and separation it causes, not because he couldn’t do anything about it, for He alone had the power to victoriously beat death to death. Sometimes however our reactions are not so pure, or Christlike and come from an entirely different motive , driven more by our own desires than His, by a passion to be on the global throne of governance ourselves.
How then are our communicated responses and considered responses cultivated in appropriateness?
Guarding our hearts so that we maintain the distinct line between appropriate response in frustration to Sin, and wanting to react in vengeance or inappropriate anger is so important. There is a line between us and the Holy one which is appropriate to keep the spotlight on. (Matthew 25:31-32). Daily reading of scripture and repentance are disciplines which intensify this spotlight for us giving an appropriately small perspective of our role in His eternal role as other. Yes we have been given Christ’s imputed Holiness by grace, yes even more remarkably he will include us in the process of putting all wrongs right (1 Cor 6:3) as a corrective to the governance we messed up (Gen 1:26 ) as his vice regent governors…. But vengeance is the LORD'S and we are His servants... not master. As if we could tell Him what to do? ( Isa 40:13ff, Job 21:22, 36:23-25)
There are inappropriate and appropriate instincts for the child of God.
We need to acknowledge that we are not naturally mature in responding to sin in others when we first come to Christ. Something needs to be learned in communion with His Spirit. Treasuring the overwhelming grace of Christ is such a great start, and this is so clear when we come to Him, especially the first time for forgiveness, but also the countless times we come in repentance thereafter. Our perspective as forgiven (Luke 7:47) is so foundational to many correct perspectives and wisdom for life (Prov 9:10). "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy one is insight."
We are sinners who deserve His wrath, why then do we have an instinct to smite the earth or extinguish those who do evil, and what do we do with such instincts ?
- We don’t write off our own sinful response or culpability by saying it is appropriate due to the sin of others being so great. The problem of Eden (Gen 3:8-13) was the blame game, falsely assuming that because the sin of another was of greater magnitude that it in someway released us from judgment. Judgement came on both, and the enemy of God (3:14-19) because Sin is missing the mark, and it doesn’t matter whether you missed by a millimetre, a mile or a millennial light year - Christ still had to pay for sin. Sin should grieve us and not just make us angry. Sin must be covered. Sin has always caused God greater pain than us. Our mature response to sin is to always see in the perspective our Fathers eyes the tears and sacrifice of the one who loves us and gave Himself for us.
2. God will deal with the sin of others, and the timing is up to Him not us. Our confidence is in Him and not ourselves (Romans 6). God’s plan to deal with sin is so much more glorious than ours. He deals with it all in perfection and all human history at the pivotal work of the cross. He has dealt with the record of Sin in entirety, and one day the effects of Sin and the presence of sin will will be shown also to be dealt with in His finished work and plan of salvation. Those who don’t treasure His grace in His covering will stand to defend themselves - that will be way more unbearable than any judgement you or I could inappropriately muster.
3. Do what you have been called to do and leave the rest to Him. There is much we can do in our world to constructively deal with brokenness. Those who work in refuges for the abused, open hostels and teaching programs for street children, feed the oppressed, treasure the abandoned, give generously to those who have nothing are those who commend Christ (Matt 10:42, 25:34-36 ) and do it seen by Christ. “You can be sure that whoever gives even a drink of cold water to one of the least of these my followers because he is my follower, will certainly receive a reward” (Good news translation) . Even in cultures of systemic abuse or where societal abuse is the norm there are things that can be put in place for safeguarding to act in protection and care. To do nothing in such circumstances is wrong. To turn a blind eye to suffering is not Christlike but sinful, wanting to protect our comfort by seeing others suffer.
James 4:17
So whoever know the right thing to do and fails to do it, is guilty of sin.
Doing the right thing may cause you much further pain, but ambassadors of Christ are not unused to that, it is part of our discipleship trajectory that we have signed up for.
However, there are limits to what we can do and what we have been called to do. We are not the Messiah or The King over all things. The arrogance that says we must be everyones hero or saviour is equally sinful and detestable and full of pride.
4. Say thank you to the God who sees such sin in you but has loved you and paid for it anyway.
Hebrews 10:10-12
And by that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…. When Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins,
he sat down at the right hand of God”
Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our inequities;
Upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.
We worship the Lion who became the Lamb, and we look to His world through His eyes from His vantage point not ours.
5. Worship in the beauty of His Holiness, and focus on what is commending and demonstrating His character to a broken world.
Look at humanity through the spectacles of grace of what God is doing and can do , not just what perverted humanity and the work of the enemy is doing.
When Paul commends us to find in others (Phil 4:8) whatsoever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, etc it is not because that is easy to see, sometimes the record of wrong far outweighs such… but here we have a man walking in the power of The Spirit who leads us and others through us to redemption and sanctification. When Paul says our gentleness (Phil 4:5) should be evident to all as church leaders it is not because that comes naturally to us or because everyone around is being gentle / the circumstances are easy (reread the context of Philippi). Such gentleness comes supernaturally who walk with God and go to bed each day with short account before God. It is a work of God and a public view into his beauty to deal in gentleness when everyone around you is frustrating. This is a priestly ministry. Some leaders are yet to learn it, others have been honed and purified in the furnace of many frustrations and prayers of intercessory sacrifice.
6. Guard your heart by weeping over your own sin, interceding for others in their temptation and spiritual battles, and paying the emotional cost whilst remaining silent . You and I don’t have to say anything to put all things right, God will do that and use our internal desires / prayers as part of the process. His word is final and unavoidable. His offer is for us to go His way with Him.
You and I however have many logs in our own eyes before looking for wood in others whether a speck or anything else. If you are unsure of what the appropriate thing to say is… keep silent before others but cry to Him in private.
God expects us to be honest with Him, and in doing so like many of the psalms you may end up in very different place for communing with Him and His character, a different person getting up off your knees then when you slumped to the ground in frustration. Many times I go to pray about other issues, only for God to reveal my sin to me in greater degree, and this is an act of grace.
Taking things to God is always good for us, this is intrinsic to the purpose we were made.
When we take things to God we are healthy, it is good for every dimension of our lives.
Psalm 16:8
I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken,
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.
Psalm 107:28
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.
(Note there is a difference between being delivered from the distress and delivered from a broken world and being in a sinless world which is yet to come).
Psalm 37:7
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him:
Fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices.
Psalm 23:2-3
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides still waters. He restores my soul.
Psalm 62:5
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was in distress.
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
O men, how long shall my honour be turned into shame?
How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? Selah
But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself;
the Lord hears when I call to him.
Be angry, and do not sin;
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the Lord.
There are many who say, “Who will show us some good?
Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!”
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety
PSALM 4.
