The Lord dropped a bit of wisdom on me a few years ago that still resonates clearly:
"True colors always appear in bad weather."
Come now, let's be honest. That person we just cut off in traffic (or flipped the bird)? That family member we just snapped at in a moment of anger or trial...
We love to try to qualify these moments with "That wasn't really me" or "That's not who I really am" - "I was just angry (sad/upset/hurt/_____)".
But that's not at all how God sees it.
This is one of the main reasons why He permits such moments to come into our lives. It is when we are touched with fire that we react with perfect honesty. Sanctification in the life of a Christian is about becoming the kind of person who will naturally react in the proper way when life gives one no motivation for doing so.
It is easy to spread love and kindness when the weather is fair and nothing bad or grievous is happening. When these things turn on us, however (and they do), how we react always tells the tale.
Don't get me wrong - anger is NOT a sin (in itself) and billing your rights in a moment of trial is perfectly acceptable. But even in anger, we must not sin. Even in struggle we must honor our King.
No soul ever born was ever perfect in this area - save One. He is the One giving us grace when we fail, and more opportunities (unpleasant though they are) to show the necessary improvement as we are gradually conforming into His perfect likeness.
Conforming to the perfect likeness of our Creator is the summation of our experience here on Earth. It is the entire point of being here - why we were sent. We need His Grace to obtain it - but we fail utterly by refusing the test.
Much love to each of you today in Yeshua's Holy Name.
Mark Scott Grimmett GoldenLight Ministries www.YeshuasArmy.com
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