Jesus is Our Anchor

Scriptural Foundation:

Matthew 7:1-3 – New King James Version (NKJV)

Judge not, that you be not judged.For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?

John 10:10 – New King James Version (NKJV)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Reflection:  

Growing up my mother always suggested that I became a teacher. From a practical standpoint choosing a career that would support family centered personal/work life balanced seemed ideal from a stay-at-home mom perspective.

Reflecting at the time as a young adult, I had spent most of my late teens babysitting and children were irritating.  At least with my younger siblings, I had some sort of leverage to get them to behave. Ironically, now years removed and working full time I have found that people may grow up on the outside but are still the same on the inside, children. Granted the older versions of ourselves are slightly different than we were, but the awkward adolescent remains in there somewhere.

We are told in the Bible that once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become children of the Most High God. We have a new nature, however our flesh is still very much present and very much as annoying as it was before. As we glean revelation from the Word, we start to see all the little irritating things other people do, but we are less likely to turn that same gaze on ourselves.

Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves. For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you. Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother’s eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? – Matthew 7:1-3(AMPC)

So, what is irritation? Irritation is an arousal to impatience or anger. If the root of irritation is anger, then the antidote is love.  If God uses all things for good, then the irritation that we experience is designed to bring to our attention the weakness that we have in ourselves. If we don’t have patience, it may be due to not having enough time in our mind and heart for grace. If we don’t have grace, it may be due to not being able to understand another person’s perspective due to our self-centered view. How do you know you have a self-centered view? When you have relationships in your life that are compartmentalized and shallow. Instead of looking at individuals and circumstances as God’s designed assignments, one picks and chooses what pleases our desires at the moment whereby giving up something greater in the Lord.

Now Jacob cooked a stew; and Esau came in from the field, and he was weary. And Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with that same red stew, for I am weary.” Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright as of this day.” And Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?” Then Jacob said, “Swear to me as of this day.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. – Genesis 25:29-33 (NKJV)

If we don’t deal with our irritation and unforgiveness then the Lord will not have mercy with us

Blessed (happy, to be envied, and spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy! – Matthew 5:7(AMPC)

Now, we all have them in our lives…individuals that act more like children than like adults. Beloved, we must look past the flesh and seek to discover the assignment behind the challenge.

Please hear me Saints, I am not suggesting to randomly take on challenging people.  We have an enemy out there is seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8).  We must have discernment when it comes to a challenging person.  They will serve one of two purposes, the Lord will put them in your life as assignments or then there will be people the devil will put in your path as assassins.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10 (AMPC)

How do we know the difference? Our counselor, the Holy Spirit, will identify these people. When you seek Him concerning why you are irritated you will get revelation as to first your self-centered perspective of the situation and then next if the individual is an assignment from God or a distraction from Satan. The biggest sign is multiplication vs subtraction. If the blessings and the anointing is flowing, there is peace and order in the Lord with that person. If the curses and despair leave you stuck in the same place and sometimes going backward in unrest, you may of made a wrong turn or stayed to long in a situation.  The choice is yours, what will you do with your irritation?   

Seeking Revelation:

Grab your notebook:

• Take inventory of your peace with irritation as one of your measures, time is short, and Jesus paid too high a price for us to be spinning our wheels in vain.
  • List the five top people in your life that grate on your soul
  • Ask Holy Spirit what is the root of that irritation? Is it pride, jealousy, judgment?
  • Ask Holy Spirit to identify the people that are specifically a part of your assignment. Please be aware that these maybe seasonal assignments and not lifelong details.
  • Ask Holy Spirit to identify the people that are distractions. Gradually and intentionally limit time spent in these people’s presence.
  • Pray and seek the Lord for help to cultivate what started off as an annoyance into a heart changing experience for all those involved.