Life is not pretty anymore…

I spent most of the morning in jail this past Sunday. It kind of felt like old times, except this time I wasn’t sleeping off a hangover, or licking my wounds and aching all over from being in a fight; instead I was witnessing to some inmates about the Christian way and urging them to seek a different and better life.

Incredibly one of the inmates was a deacon in his church and had gotten up that very morning and was getting ready to attend church services. Before he got out the door he and his mate got into an “altercation”, and instead of going to church he ended up in jail for going upside her head. I guess he came to our service to repent.

Another guy slipped me a note and asked me to write the judge overseeing his case. He wanted me to lobby for leniency for him. He said he got in a fight because someone kicked his sister and he was merely sticking up for her. What other choice did he have?

While I was trying to speak, one gentleman kept interrupting me. He told me he had trouble controlling his anger and indeed had been in a fight in the jail earlier that morning; (this in spite of his praying and asking one of his buddies to pray for him to help him refrain from his anger). I got a little angry at him myself because he kept interrupting me, and at one point I felt like popping him a good one.

Lots of anger in that room I tell you.

Yikes, I never thought I would be counseling someone else on how to control “their” anger, but I suppose the Lord afforded me this opportunity because I’ve spent a lifetime trying to control my own anger.

One thing I emphasized to them is that life is no bed of roses for the saved or unsaved. I told them that they would (to a person) face trials and tribulations and be sorely tempted throughout life and it would take hard work to overcome it and avoid the sin that always results from things like unbridled anger.

The original curse on all of mankind was issued when God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden because of their sin. In Genesis 3:17 it states: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the dust from which you were made”.

Selah, (Stop, rest for a moment, and meditate). Listen to what God is telling us in this curse-verse.

1. Work by the sweat of your brow? Think of the sweat on Christ’s brow in the Garden of Gethsemane when He was praying about His upcoming ordeal – It was so intense that He actually sweated blood. We are to imitate Christ in everything we do and undoubtedly should do some sweating of our own in prayer.

2 What about thorns? In the books of Hebrews and Matthew thorns represent our sinful human nature and being distracted by the world and its choking out the word of God from our lives. Remember that Christ had a crown of thorns painfully pounded upon His head. We will experience pain too as we work hard to try to avoid temptation to sin and prevent God’s word from being choked out of our lives.

3.”Eat of the field”? “Cursed is the ground because of you”? To me this represents the “curse of the tree”. We may no longer eat of the Tree of Life and live forever Instead of merely picking God’s good fruit from a tree with little to no effort and eating of its life-giving splendor as Adam and Eve did, now because of sin, we must plant the food we eat in fields and engage in “painful toil” involving back breaking work. To make matters worse this food does not sustain life indefinitely and since we may no longer eat of the Tree of Life we are cursed to die and return to the dust from which we were originally formed.

But be of good cheer, because we read in Galatians 3:13: “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’.”

Hallelujah! That is great for eternity, but what about the here and now; these difficult years before we cross that threshold of death and enter paradise?

First and foremost we need to be mindful that it was SIN that resulted in a curse that is so severe that Christ sweated blood just at the thought of it, endured painful thorns, and was mercilessly crucified on a cross. His holy word states that His blood and hard work on our behalves cleansed sin from remembrance and overcame the cessation of life and the mandate to return to dust in a soon to be forgotten grave.

The bottom line to me is that it is indeed difficult to overcome temptation and sin. Picture Christ facing crucifixion and then enduring it; it wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t easy for Him and it’s not easy for us in this fallen cursed world to imitate our Savior. It will require “painful toil” to be Christ-like.

Life is not pretty anymore because of sin.

Don’t ever take sin lightly. It is difficult for us to overlook someone who is bugging us and we should expect that it will be difficult; which means we must work harder to overcome it. In as much as it is within our power we must try to get along with everyone, (even a very cranky spouse who wakes up in a foul mood every morning and remains that way until she has her precious cup of coffee).

He who has ears listens to the Spirit.

Okay I normally add one verse at the end of WFTD, but this problem is so vexing to me that I have listed more than one. Please go and work hard in Christ-like fashion, eat of this spiritual food, and grow from a baby Christian into a mature one who controls his/her temper


Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil (Psalm 37:8).
A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult (Proverbs 12:16).
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing (Proverbs 12:18).
A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless (Proverbs 14:16
A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated (Proverbs 14:17).
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly (Proverbs 14:29).
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Proverbs 15:1).
A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel (Proverbs 15:18).
Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city (Proverbs 16:32).
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered (Proverbs 17:27).
It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel (Proverbs 20:3).
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you (Proverbs 20:22).
Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control (Proverbs 25:28).
Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger (Proverbs 29:8).
A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control (Proverbs 29:11).
An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins (Proverbs 29:22).
You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment … first go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:21-24).
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4-5).
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions (Galatians 5:19-20).
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:26-7).
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:29-32).
Let your gentleness be evident to all (Philippians 4:5).
But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips (Colossians 3:8).
And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful (2 Timothy 2:24).
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires (James 1:19-20).
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9).