Have you ever felt wronged, badly rejected,
disrespected? Of course, we all have been rejected, for we live in the
rejective system of the world governed by the “ruler of this world” (Eph.
6:12). When we experience rejection from another, if you’re like me, you may
have felt angry? Come on, be real with me, you know you’re tempted as I am, to
respond by, saying, “this is not fair, I
deserve to be treated with respect.” As Christians, we typically have a
discussion with God. It's a testing time. It's obviously a time of temptation, where
you and I will decide whose ‘solicitation’ we give ourselves too. If we are
wise, it is a time to fully express what we are feeling and thinking. It is a time to share our dislike and disgust,
regarding the circumstances that we are facing and how we are being treated.
Often when being tempted with an angry
response, I will hear the suggestion that, “I
am to be like Jesus! That Jesus doesn’t want me being angry and that it is my
responsibility as a Christian to act like a Christian and to be Christian and
that Christians are to be like Jesus when they are tempted.” The Liar-Satan
is speaking and tempting me to contort what it means to be human. (Gen. 3:5) As a human being I have a full range of
emotions and volitional thoughts and there is nothing sinful about experiencing
and expressing these God given thoughts and desires. Sin is only conceived when
I act independently of God giving myself to the character of the Evil one (James
1:15). If my emotional expression is not derived from God it is sin. Trying to be like Jesus would be an act of sin
and an attempt to ‘cope’ or perform religiously, instead of being human and
willing to feel angry which can be a very righteous expression. Anger only becomes sin when I choose to act
out fleshly character which is contrary to my identity in Christ (Eph. 4:26).
The truth is Satan is tempting me with sin when he suggests that I should “be
like Jesus” and behave like Jesus and not be angry. It is an attempt to solicit me to “act like
God” (Gen. 3:5). To be like Jesus and
not be upset and angry is an impossibility, and only tempts me to seethe with
reactive rage.
Jesus has reassured me at times like these
that it is not my responsibility to be like Him. No one can imitate God nor
should they try to do so, but rather choose to allow Christ’s love and the control
of His Spirit to control my response in the midst of this potentially explosive
moment.
I have learned to say, “I don't want to be
like Jesus!” In fact, I have a righteous anger that opposes such a thought!
I oppose the lying thought that kept me
defeated for so many years of my Christian life, thinking I wasn’t measuring
up. Now I realize that this angry moment
is a Jesus moment, whereI can experience the tested life of Christ as my life!
So, I gladly proclaim that “I don’t
want to be like Jesus,” but I willingly choose to allow Jesus as my life to
conform my behavioral experience to be anexpression of His character as
He lives His life through me. I am being
conformed to the image of Christ-experientially! (Romans 8:29). That which has already been accomplished by God
in me at regeneration, through the new birth, (where I'm sealed with God's
Spirit and complete in Christ), is now my faith choice to experience and
express relationally the indwelling presence of God as my life (Gal. 2:20;
3:11).
What Satan had meant for evil, through his
deceptive solicitation, God has worked for good (Gen. 50:20). Thank God “I
no longer want to be like Jesus” but am learning to yield myself to His
loving embrace being conformed to the image of Christ-experientially!
By Don Burzynski
CrossLife Counseling
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