When to hold our tongue

The other day, all day, one thing after another, came to test my patience and I was given the opportunity to practice humbleness and humility by keeping my mouth shut. Now when I have to keep my mouth shut in a situation it is very challenging and when I am through I have to ask God for forgiveness in getting angry. Learning to keep quiet is an treasured skill to have because it can save you from hassle and getting into fights that are not yours. But also in holding your tongue you might hold on to possible hurt or anger so never just hold your tongue, talk to someone about how you are feeling or type or write it down so the feelings don't build up to high levels inside you and you end up blowing it BIG TIME! As we grow to become more like in the likeness of God we need to see how God deals with anger:

Psalm 103: 8-10

⁸The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.⁹He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge. ¹⁰He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

The Lord does not like it when we are angry but He does not turn away from us for it either.

There are two different kinds of anger I believe.

1) Anger-Rage that God disapproves of.
-John 18:10
¹⁰Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. ¹¹Therefore, Jesus said to Peter, Put the sword [back] into the sheath!

Here Jesus chastises peter for getting angry about the soldiers taking Him. Peter let his anger take hold on him and ended up doing something foolish. This is the kind of anger we need to ask forgiveness for.

2) Holy anger - Even God has Holy anger when all He has made turns away from Him.


Gen 18:20-21

20 And the Lord said, Because the shriek [of the sins] of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is exceedingly grievous,
21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether [as vilely and wickedly] as is the cry of it which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.

Gen 19:24
24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of the heavens.
AMP

God saw that the wicked reports were true and because these cities grieved Him he willed it that they would no longer be a grievance so He destroyed those nations.

This was old testament, Now hear the new testament:

Mark 11:15-17

15 And they came to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves!
KJV

Here Jesus is angry with Holy anger at those selling in His house and stealing. Well I would be too! I think here shows that it is ok to be Holy angered for a cause that in the end will bring Glory to God, but there is a time and a place for it.

We need to stir things up in the spirit every now and again with Holy anger to start moving things in the Spirit. To make situations change on earth need to be changed in the spirit before it will affect the natural and when it does affect the natural, changes will come fast.

So start looking at your life and see how stirring your spirit up has affect on the situations around you! I will talk more about stirring up your spirit a little more in another entry.

~Alyse~