Anger is the opposite of LOVE. Anger is committed when someone attacks us like a lion. Take for example that someone just insults us in a very disgraceful manner. When that happens, you will feel so much anger because of the insult. No one on earth will take something like that. A disgraceful insult can come to us like an arrow and we can feel it piercing through our soul especially if we don't do anything to deserve it.
The person that insults us may be a healthy looking person even though no healthy person just put a curse on somebody else. As a result we become angry because we are insulted out of no where for some reason. We didn't do anything wrong but now we feel so much anger inside us. What do we need to do in response to that? The Lord said, "Dont worry about anything that comes to you. It will be processed and latter on, it will be excluded from you body."
Now this looks like Jesus is talking about food. But he is talking about anything that comes to us. It could be evil thoughts, evil dreams, contaminated ideas, and unresolved issues.
It also includes anything that comes from external being. It could be an insult from somebody else. It could be a provocation to lie or to agree to a sinful idea. So he said we should not worry about it.
Instead lets be careful what comes out from us. It could be a perverse speech. It could be a lie or an insult or arrogance. It could be our own idea to do something bad. That will make us unworthy to worship the Lord almighty in his temple.
Therefore, whenever someone insults us, let us make sure that we have already made a choice. Whether we go ahead and spit our own venom in to the other persons body. Or perhaps we want to take it to the Lord so that He can heal our soul and give us the grace we need to worship him with a pure heart.
The funny thing about this is that we don't know when this will happen. And also people even our own friends will encourage us to respond with insult.
Why? Because once people see that we are kind of silly person who accepts insults and takes no action, they won't hesitate to do their own versions too. It is like a beautiful place turns in to a dumpster.
After all what makes it a dumpster is the fact that when the first person comes and put his/her garbage, no one say, "No! No way!"
One of the reasons God has LOVED David was when he was going through a lot of problems after the incident with Uriah's wife. At one point in his life, one person insulted David in front of every body but he didn't pay him back.
King David could have made him killed since he had the power to do that but he did not. Instead he said, "May be God seeing all my misery and pain, He will have mercy on me."
David understood that nothing came to him whether it is good or bad unless the Lord allowed it. He also used it as a wonderful opportunity to please God one more time.
What amazes me most is when David waited all his life and asked Solomon, his son, to do justice regarding this person. He didn't even told Solomon to kill this person, but he said,
"You know what to do with him. You have wisdom and do to him according to your wisdom." So he was telling him to do what God told him to do concerning that person. However David didn't dare to do any harm to this person as he feared the Lord and obeyed his commandments. Paul while advising timothy regarding disrespectful person around him by saying,
"Earn respect by knowing what to speak in the beginning"
Most of the disrespect comes from our silly talk and unthoughtful actions. It is a reward for our foolishness. Avoid foolishness and learn wisdom. Let us Fear God and stay away from anything that may cause us harm.
The issue of Self-respect:
Our interaction with others has to be mainly based on humility and self respect. While we talk and do certain th
ngs, we might put our selves in a position where others might respect us or not.
Also we may not put enough self respect even to our selves. And many may not provide us with the self respect that we deprive of our selves. The humility part is also necessary to establish health relationship with others and God.
Self respect is the basic thing to deliver our message to others. It helps us to express our feelings and to be heard and to be acknowledged in other persons world. With out self respect we will lose all the dignity for our selves because of the world. With out dignity, we will lose the self respect for our selves because of our own fault.
Self respect can be built from inside and also we should protect it from the outside world. The main issue is to bring humility with out loosing self-respect.
What if somebody just break the boundary and just insults us? Isn't that something that can make us have less self esteem? Well we have seen Jesus in the scriptures where he was teaching effectively because of the image he already had for himself. He even passed through a point in time where he was tested to lose self-respect and his faith.
I have had many experience in the past that makes me lose self confidence. I have gone out for battle where I totally depend on my self to win the battle. But I totally messed up and got embarrassed. I not only failed but also lost confidence because of that.
Does self-respect even necessary at all? The word self is not something we find good at all in the Bible. But still it is all we have got under the earth with God by our side. It is something all the issues of life derive from.
If something is wrong there, everything will be lost. That is why we need to have the proper definition of self. Self but not selfishness means the identity of an individual. Where is the true identity found in our lives? It is in the idea of self and who we are in Christ Jesus. That is the main issue of this lesson.
We are redeemed from our selfishness nature to bring forth glory to God's kingdom. Do you ever ask yourself the question, "who am I?" We need to find who we are in God's kingdom. So every element of life should be taught in terms of the true nature of our selves and our relationship with God. Let us be humble, be patient, be kind, be loving while we also hold on to our own true nature.
When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, it was not his intention to lose self respect. But first of all he wanted to teach humility and second he wanted them to do the same thing to others including their enemies. He taught how to be in good service to others and how to be a humble servant for God.
Most of all, remember the summery of the laws of God: LOVE your neighbor as you LOVE yourself. This means we should also expect the same kind of respect from others as we showed to them.
We thank you Lord for teaching us the issue of self respect with out being arrogant and irritation to others. Please help us not to be easily offended where others knowingly or unknowingly make a mistake of disrespecting us. We already understand LOVE is strong and can defeat any kind of anger and disappointment
Related Scriptures in ESV Version:
Proverbs 18:21:
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Matthew 15:18
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
Proverbs 12:18
There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Matthew 12:36
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
Proverbs 16:
4
Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.
Colossians 3:8
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Matthew 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
Proverbs 18:21:Proverbs 13:3
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin.
Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 21:23
Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.
James 1:26
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
James 3:1-12
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
Proverbs 15:4
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
Proverbs 29:20
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.
Luke 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
Proverbs 10:19
When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 18:13
If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
Proverbs 18:20
From the fruit of a man's mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips.
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”
Matthew 7:12
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.