Lay Your Anger Down and Be Still (Lent 2-2014)

Cain was angry and his face showed it. “Where are you, Cain?” God might ask.

Genesis 4: 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Where are you?  Why are you angry?  It’s not that God doesn’t know Cain is standing there angry with his hand on the spiritual doorknob. He knows the rage inside Cain was looking for a chance to take him down a bad path. Cain was thinking of inviting a sinful response to the anger he felt.

Sin is crouching at your door, God says. Don’t let it in, Cain. You be the master of it instead of letting it master you. Take stock of where you are and why you’re angry.

• Is it petty jealousy?
• Sibling rivalry?
• Is it the painful feeling of rejection that you genuinely don’t understand? Or is it simply anger at being rejected?
• Is it knowing you could have given God your very best but you were looking to cut a few corners? And you got caught taking the cheap and easy route?
• Are you angry because things didn’t go your way?
• Is it anger at how others always seem to get the praise and you never do?
• Is it that awful feeling that your anger is getting out of control and you really don’t know how to rein it in?

Anger can get in the way of our peace with God.

Sin is the archenemy of stillness, but not all anger is sin.

Anger is a genuine human emotion that we get from being created in the image of God.

God’s anger is always holy though.

Humans need to sort out righteous anger from its far more common cousin regular anger. For some of us anger and management are two words that just don’t seem to go together. But we must master it.

Be Still. Don’t jump to anything. Master yourself, then master that sin continually wanting to stage a coup.  Lay your anger down at My throne.

Be Still. Gain some perspective before doing or saying anything. Ask yourself why you’re angry?

Be Still. Know that sin is your enemy, but also know I AM waiting to be your very best advocate.

Be Still and Know that I AM God. Cain, your response of remaining angry shows that you lost perspective of what worship was supposed to be.  Worship Me.  I AM God alone.

Be Still and Know that I AM God. If you do what is right…with a right heart…you will be accepted.  I AM God and I look with favor upon righteousness.

Be Still and Remember that I AM God.

Questions for reflection:

1. What triggers make you angry?
2. Are there certain people who make you feel angry? What about them makes you angry?
3. How do you deal with anger? Do you internalize it, vent it on someone else, or bring it to God?
4. In what ways are anger and worship connected?
5. When God asked Cain why he was angry, what do you think Cain’s honest response would have been to that question?
6. Read Psalm 32.  How can recalling God’s perspective help you to Be Still and lay your anger down?