"Playing With Fire" - Crosswalk the Devotional - Aug. 17, 2012
SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST | LISTEN TO DEVOTIONAL
Playing With Fire
By Ryan Duncan. TheFish.com Editor
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. – James 4:17
Last week I decided to take a few days off work and fly into Green Bay so I could spend the week with my family. I was really looking forward to my vacation, not only because it would be a chance to relax, but also because I’d get to see my oldest sister and newborn niece for the first time in almost two years.
So Tuesday evening I left work in a good mood, checked my bags into the airport, and made my way through the customary TSA groping to the terminal where I was promptly told that my flight had been canceled. With no other planes headed to Green Bay that night, I had no choice but to go home and try again another day. The next morning I got up at 4 am and returned to the airport where the airlines announced that the same thing had happened again. Clerks informed everyone that they would do their best to find us all new flights, and that all passengers would be given compensation when we pried it from their cold, dead hands.
At this point my mood was as black and foul as boiling tar, and I waited sullenly until one of the attendants asked me where I was headed. No sooner had the words “Green Bay” left my mouth when (and I am not making this up) a fireman came running through the side doors and announced that an airplane had caught fire outside the gate, and everyone needed to move to the end of the terminal. Overall, it wasn’t one of my best traveling experiences.
The thing is, during all of this I could feel the Holy Spirit nudging me. I think God knew I was angry, and was encouraging me to pray, to read my Bible, even to do simple things like write or walk around the terminal and cool off. Each time I felt the nudging though, I stamped it out. I didn’t want to be patient, I wanted to be angry. I wanted to groan and complain and go ballistic in the middle of the airport. I was completely justified in doing so, and I didn’t care that my anger wouldn’t fix anything, or that the clerks already had four people yelling at them. I chose to wallow in my rage instead of pushing it away.
How often do we allow ourselves to play with sin? How often do we tell ourselves that we’re justified in our behavior because life isn’t fair, or the situation is against us? One of the toughest challenges we Christians face today is remembering to reflect Christ, even when things get bad. Take it from me, don’t ignore the Holy Spirit. Sure, you’re still going to get angry, and but how you handle that anger will determine how Christ works in your life, and more importantly, how others will see Christ in you.
Intersecting Faith and Life
Are you unable to let something go? Take a moment to talk with God and let him take it from you.
Further Reading
