Gospel-Transformation for the Angry Man

One of man’s creation mandates is to rule and subdue the earth, to have dominion. With our sinful bent, this becomes not a call to stewarding what God has given to us and a humble response to Him, but an unruly desire to dominate all of life, whether work or relationships. Instead of a desire to willingly serve God, our desire becomes self-inflamed, we long for control and domination, to succeed and to conquer, to demand from others and raise expectations for ourselves and those we influence and create a world in which we are king.

What happens to many men in the course of their plans and desire for strength and competence, to find beauty and peace, or to convince or control is a regular bout with frustration and disappointment. As the poet Robert Burns put it so well, “the best laid schemes of mice and men, often go a askew.” The result is the angry man, the controlling father, the relentless boss, a stressed out, irritable husband. I recognize this in my own life as I lash out at others when I don’t get my way, when I turn inward and work harder, faster and longer hours than ever.

I desire strength, competence, reputation, the accolade and approval of others in my life, family, ministry and the onlooking world. When these things are threatened, tarnished or unseen I feel angry, I feel a loss and want to grab it back, hold tightly to it and reclaim it. I fear that without this thing, I will be seen as less, weak, broken, incompetent… heaven forbid that I should decrease and He should increase (John 3:30).

Gospel-transformation happens when I repent of my sinful desire for control, and instead, humbly welcome the ways in which God leads me and forms me into the likeness of Christ. My gospel-transformation welcomes the people, places, circumstances even objects of my life as tools in the loving hand of my Dad to transform me, to bring me into spiritual maturity.

He is the master craftsman of my life. Do I trust him?

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~ by Nate on September 21, 2011.