“She makes me so mad, I can’t stand it!”
“He thinks only of himself, he doesn’t care if he hurts me or not. It’s maddening.”
Did you ever say or think words like these? Well, you are not alone. But, what do you gain by being mad, by being so angry you lose control?
The answer: you don’t gain anything of value but you lose much that is valuable! Often, being mad brings such harm that the damage is difficult, if not impossible to repair.
Of course, you think you have good reasons for being mad. You have been hurt and nothing will stand between you and your right to be mad. If you are miserable, then everyone else should be too. This might work if you ruled your world and God were only a passive spectator.
But God is not a spectator, he does rule your world and he has given you specific commands about how to handle situations when someone makes you mad. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus says love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Paul says in Romans 12 to return good for evil. But when we are mad, we might say, “Wait a minute Jesus, you didn’t see what she did to me.”
Actually, he did see what was done to you and he still says return good for evil. But then you might say, “But if I did that, I couldn’t be mad anymore. I deserve to be mad.”
You might say that, but then you would be like the fool who has no time for God. That is never a good idea! Continuing on in a mad rage defies God and brings harm to others.
Teenagers can be mad at unreasonable parents, siblings and friends. Adults lose it with insensitive spouses, coworkers and children. Children fly into a rage when they can’t have their favorite toy. In all three cases, God is defied and personal desires are satisfied. But at what cost? Relationships are damaged, God seems distant, devastating guilt quickly follows and a peaceful heart is nowhere to be found.
Instead of being angry and mad at God and others, acknowledge that God knows more than you do about relationships. He doesn’t want you to become a doormat. You are not to be someone’s punching bag. Get help by other means than lashing out in mad anger. He wants you to take control of things by loving him more than you do yourself. He wants you to live for his honor and not your own.
Do the unexpected: love and pray for those who persecute you. Don’t play God. Follow the example of your Father. Love those who are unlovely.
Stop being mad at God.