Teenagers are often like Absalom. They present an image of arrogance and power. Yet inside they are hurting. Parents see the power but not the hurt. They may become intimidated and fearful—or angry—at the images their teenagers project. An angry teen is at odds with the God of heaven, and therefore lives with a desperate need for contentment—but he doesn’t know why. Absalom was powerful, handsome, arrogant, winsome and popular. This was the image that he projected and cultivated. However, the image he displayed was not consistent with who he really was. Inside he was hurting. He relied on subversion and raw intimidation to achieve what he wanted. He had no balm for the pain caused by the rape of […]
Anger
34 posts
“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 […]
I was reminded today that human anger is a sign of weakness. Just to be clear, I understand there are times for righteous anger. We could all stand to experience more of this type of anger. But this post is not about righteous anger. It is about the anger that deceives, that makes you think your anger is justified. So when a child, a teenager, a spouse, or a coworker crosses an arbitrary line we feel totally justified by an angry response. Our flesh screams unfair! Angry words of self-defense and accusation flow freely from our lips. This sort of language and rationalization will receive a hearty amen from the Satanic cheering section. We think we have been strong, when […]
Just to be clear, I understand there are times for righteous anger. We could stand to experience more of this type of anger. But this post is not about righteous anger. It is about the anger that deceives, that makes you think your anger is justified, something to feel good about. So when a child, a teenager, a spouse, or a coworker crosses an arbitrary line we feel totally justified in letting them “have it.” We cover our sin by saying, “I know I shouldn’t be angry, but sometimes you just have to say enough is enough.” This sort of language and rationalization will receive a hearty amen from the Satanic cheering section. We think we have been strong, when […]