As I was spending some time in Titus recently, here are some of my thoughts as I meditated on Titus 1:7
An elder (leader) must live a blameless life because he is God’s servant. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or greedy for money.
Jesus,
- Not proud,
- Not angry
- Not addicted to alcohol
- Not materialistic
Protect me, by your grace, from all four.
The anger one is the one that trips me up. I believe it is a matter of seeing your sovereign hand in my circumstances and not getting out of sorts when things don’t go as I had been thinking or planning. My desires, plans and hopes don’t generally happen in the timeframe or the degree I would like, but it is not a matter of what I will but what you will. Oh to patiently trust and wait.
Over the years, the lord has made it clear to me that I have an anger issue. It’s hard to confess this and repent of this, as pride stands in the way, but (by His grace) I’m doing it!
I am easily angered as mentioned above. I am the older brother in the story of the prodigal son, who was angry and wouldn’t join the party (Luke 15:28). I have memorized this verse asking the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit to come to my aid in putting this sin to death.
As I have been reflecting on the subject of anger and as I’m praying over passages of scripture that deal with anger, I am becoming aware of the fact that, through the years, I have worked with, and for, a lot of angry leaders; leaders who preach and teach out of anger; leaders who lead their staff and teams out of anger; leaders who lead their families out of anger. I am crying out for myself and other leaders in the words of James, “Brothers, these things ought not to be so.”-James 3:10.
Are you possibly one of these angry leaders?
Do you work for, or with, an angry leader?
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