Dave Dishman

Years ago I worked with a young wrestler in Missouri. Collegiate wrestlers lift weights, run sprints, eat right and grapple with teammates, all in anticipation of forcing their next opponent into submission. You don’t want to get into a fight with a wrestler.

My friend dealt with anger and aggression, which works on the mat but not so much in the dorm. Some guys down the hall mocked him for his faith, called him names and kept him up at night. Finally, in Hulk-like fashion he picked one up over his head (he was a heavyweight) and tossed him down the hall. The mocking stopped. No one was hurt, no charges pressed, and my friend emerged a hero. Turns out these knuckleheads ridiculed all their neighbors.

But the next day the hero burst into tears when he told me the story. He took his faith seriously and wanted to live as a committed disciple of Jesus. He hoped to express his faith to those around him. Instead, his wrath ascended. His lack of control left him shaken.

What to do?

We turned to the Scriptures. We looked at several verses regarding anger. Solomon wrote: Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end (Proverbs 29:11). And Paul added: Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:31-32).

This young man began to memorize these and other verses dealing with anger. He sought the Holy Spirit’s control in his life. Over the next several months changes occurred. While he was still a wrestler (a quite good one), his demeanor shifted from scowl to smile. Patience took root and grew. Best of all, anger faded.

I think of his relief often, especially when I read this word from the Lord: Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

The Word of God forms a fiery sledge and the rock it breaks is the human heart. The Holy Scriptures carry unmatched power. If you desire life change, search the Bible and discover the passages relating to your need. Memorize them, which allows the Holy Spirit to bring one to mind at just the right time. Pick up the hammer and see what God breaks from your life. Freedom awaits, it just takes some pounding to get there.

Jeremiah 23:29

Photo by Moritz Mentges

Sometimes you need a guy with a little moxie by your side. I like to watch football, where occasionally a couple of players get into a fight on the field. It’s always the smaller guys, defensive backs or receivers mostly. As the ruckus develops the offensive linemen—the biggest men on a field of big men—walk into the fray. No fear, no hurry. They amble in hoping someone will hit them. They get paid millions to hit and be hit. But no one takes a swing. These giants garner a lot of respect.

Jeremiah endured terrible mistreatment (imprisoned and put in stocks) as he proclaimed the Lord’s unpopular message to the people of Jerusalem. Set free he massaged his ankles and let loose with this: But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me. They will be greatly shamed, for they will not succeed.

God walked alongside Jeremiah as a dread warrior, a terrifying and awe-inspiring champion. Not passive, the Lord defended and protected Jeremiah. Those who mocked and beat and imprisoned the prophet eventually were dragged into captivity or lost their lives.

In my life I seek the peace the Lord provides. I often recall this most famous verse: Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Perhaps I should fear no evil in the valley of the shadow of death because I walk beside a dread warrior. Evil doesn’t just hide from the Lord’s presence, it flees. The rod and staff, tools of the shepherd, morph into the sword and shield of the fighter. God is to be feared along with revered. Which is more than bit frightening when I think on it. But in the game of life, so much more dangerous than football, I prefer a dread warrior at my side who carries more than a little moxie.

Jeremiah 20:11; Psalm 23:4

Photo by Debabrata Dash

In the midst of turmoil, Jeremiah shared this word from the Lord with the conquered and downtrodden citizens of Jerusalem: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 

600 years later, also from Jerusalem, James wrote this promise to followers of Jesus enduring hardships and persecutions: Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Add another 2,000 years and the promises still apply. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to us.

How do we draw near?

James yields some clues. Humble ourselves and submit to the Lord. Turn from the sins we indulge, and allow God access to others we push to the deeper recesses of our consciousness. Resist the devil. Stop slandering one another. Pursue a single-minded devotion.

Humility carves a path for drawing near to God. I know myself. I’m not humble, and I cannot will-power my way into such changes. I must urge the Holy Spirit to empower me toward humility. The payoff is unparalleled. A future, a hope, and a life lived experiencing the Lord. Lord, create in me a humble core, and allow me to enjoy your presence as you draw near.

Jeremiah 29:11-13; James 4:8

Photo by Francesco Ungaro

A couple of years ago one end of a chain slipped off the back of a truck in western Colorado. As the truck sped down the highway the chain bounced along, launching sparks into the parched grass along the roadside. The sparks started a huge wildfire, shutting down the interstate in both directions.

Just as sparks set off conflagrations, misspoken words result in pain and frustration. James wrote: The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness…no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

Our speech carries the potential for tremendous harm. Just scan the social media environment and wince at the nastiness. Some perpetrators hide behind anonymous accounts as they launch their arsonous attacks. But others need no such protection. They spout libel and foolishness, sparking fires of hostility, way worse than that chain bouncing down the highway.

How do I avoid adding to the cultural inferno? As much as I’d like to comment, I keep my thoughts to myself when it comes to social media. I love to discuss hard topics face-to-face, but not over electronic media. Too much room for misunderstanding.

More importantly, as one who follows Jesus I seek out the wisdom and control of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described the Spirit as our Helper, and where else do I need more help than with my words? The tongue is indeed a fire, and I find only the Holy Spirit douses its flames before they get out of control.

James 3:6-11

Photo by Marcus Kauffman