Anger, Forgive Your Neighbour The Wrong They Have Done
- Administrator
- Mar 1
- 8 min read
February 26, 2025
Hello, brothers, sisters, and Heartdwellers family. I fell into the sin of anger this morning. And sometime at the beginning of the week and even before that. I have just been seeing myself in the light of God's mirror lately and it’s ugly.
During the week I went back and forth with a family member concerning President Trump and his leadership with all that is going on. The majority of my family is liberal, and I just couldn’t seem to understand, as Christians, why they didn’t seem to still get it. It got so heated I walked away while the person was talking to me because I didn’t want to hear anymore. I came into my room at sat before the Lord feeling all the guilt and shame for my behavior but so frustrated at the same time. This person was an elder, so I knew it was very disrespectful what I had done as I thought, Lord, jeez, change me. Why can’t I just be quiet? Hush lips, hush! [chuckle].
A week before, I was leading our family Bible study and doing a date night with Jesus for the kids for Valentine’s. They were all there and ready to go. Before I knew it someone started asking questions about the Scriptures (the adults), and I thought I would give them the answer. But it turned into another back-and-forth, heated debate on Scripture from the same elder. I was so annoyed, and I knew it was my pride. If I had just been silent and allowed them to go on to believe their interpretation of Scripture, we would not have had the back and forth in front of the children, which was a bad example.
I thought to myself I am the worst. Lord, please give me the humility and meekness of Moses. This elder always seems to be at odds with me concerning things so it didn’t help. But again, I knew it was this pride that always feels it has to be right, or I always have to say something… or that, “I teach, so why don’t you listen to me instead?” Pride, pride, pride. I went to pull a rhema, finally, after the second incident about President Trump. I had just said, please Lord, give me the humility of St. Francis, and the card I picked said,
“This prayer I will answer”
I just laughed and said, “Of course you will, Lord, that I know for a fact. But when you humble me please do it gently”.
Then today was my beloved’s birthday. I had planned things out for two days with details, trying to get things coordinated in Ghana for him. So that meant late nights and sacrifice, but I wanted the day to be special for him although he doesn’t celebrate or think so much about birthdays. He says it's an African man’s thing, they just don’t celebrate. I found out Brother Robby is the same so maybe it is [laugh]. Either way, I was like, “Oh phooey, I am going to celebrate you!”
So, we spoke early in the morning when I wished him a happy birthday, and throughout the day we were texting. I was waiting for him to call, or at least get his packages. My family sent him Happy Birthday messages, and he called them… I started feeling “some type of way”, but I waited. I finally decided to call him instead, but he sounded so out of it, just down and dry. I thought, Wait! he didn’t sound like that a few hours ago when he talked to my family. We lost our connection, and when he finally got home the packages arrived and all I got was a text saying, Thank you. I was fuming with thoughts of, “Really, that's it? Seriously?... Again, all self, self, self, self-love. My goodness, I got so upset that I began to get emotional as I thought of all the things I did to make this day special for him. So, when we finally talked I told myself, “Calm down… I could feel the anger rising up, but it burst out… I lashed out instead, upset about his attitude, his reaction, everything.
He sincerely apologized and was a bit taken aback. Rightfully so, then he got off the phone. This was all while I was sitting before the Lord in the Eucharist. See what a hot mess I am? I was upset at myself for my reaction and upset about the situation, as I looked at Jesus. I knew He was like, “Again?”.
And, more so, I realized we do the same thing to Him. How many times does He do so much for us, but we seem so ungrateful or have no idea the battle, or all He had to do to give us that blessing? So, I said I was sorry to Jesus first. And I knew I had to call back to apologize. So, I did, and he was so kind and sweet, as he always is, as he asked me, “Did ever think to ask how my day was? why I was down and sad?” I thought to myself, “Oohh..., no, I didn’t”. Dang! I was so into myself and made assumptions and judgments about his attitude and took it personally rather than asking him what was wrong. Sure enough, he had a rough day. I felt even worse. Egg on my face for sure.
We made up and I just looked at Jesus thinking, “Lord what are You going to do with me? As I began to prepare for the Lord's Supper my readings hit me right between the eyes. All about forgiveness. The first was from Sirach 27:30, 28:1-9
Chapter 27
27. Anger and wrath, these also are abominations, yet a sinner holds on to them.
Chapter 28
1. The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance, for he keeps a strict account of their sins.
2. Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
3. Does anyone harbour anger against another, and expect healing from the Lord?
4. If one has no mercy toward another like himself, can he then seek pardon for his own sins?
5. If a mere mortal harbours wrath, who will make an atoning sacrifice for his sins?
6. Remember the end of your life, and set enmity aside; remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.
7. Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbour; remember the covenant of the Most High and overlook faults.
8 Refrain from strife, and your sins will be fewer; for the hot-tempered kindle strife,
9. and the sinner disrupts friendships and sows discord among those who are at peace.
The psalm was Psalm 103 about the Lord being kind and merciful, slow to anger, and rich in compassion… I gulped. The last Gospel was Matthew 18:21-35.
Forgiveness
21 Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy times seven.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. 24 When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; 25 and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. 26 So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt. 31 When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. 32 Then his lord summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt. 35 So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Again, that’s another gulp…
Well, after those readings, guys, I felt very salty (a term meaning that I felt very ashamed). I was like, “Dang, okay Lord, uncle!” Did I do that badly? I guess I did. So, I came before him.
Lord, I’m so sorry for my attitude. I am a mess. Please grow more virtue in me and help me to get rid of these bad habits and tendencies.
Jesus, what’s on your heart?
Jesus began,
“This prayer I will answer and many other prayers when it comes to you asking Me for a clean heart, Beloved. By the way, it would do you good to go to confession.”
Oh, yes, Lord, thank you for the reminder.
“I am doing a work in you and all My brides, Beloved. Going deeper and bringing up buttons, landmines, and habits that continue to get in the way of mirroring Me or responding like Me. You are quick-tempered and I am working with you to temper that down completely until there is nothing left. NO trigger, no hint of frustration or offense to cause you to be riled up. There are moments when you pass the test and are very patient in certain situations. And there are many more moments when you allow your emotions to get the best of you.
“Rest assured when you feel yourself rising up with frustration, negative thoughts, justification about your feelings, and judgments towards someone's actions there are demons around prodding you to ensure that you get angry. They want that anger that leads to sin. So they continue to poke, poke, and poke even when you try to shrug the thoughts off or cool down until it has fully entered, from your mind now to your heart and there is real resentment there. You then have fallen into sin, whether you say anything to the person or not.
“When you find yourself in this situation renounce these feelings immediately, the anger that you feel and ask Me, ‘Lord please give me a clean heart. Help me to see this person or situation how you see them,’ and I will immediately come to your rescue. But you must cooperate with Me because the devils will be sure to come again to instigate imaginations, feelings, judgments, and thoughts again. You cast them down and again ask for a clean heart, and will diffuse the situation, and will disrupt the enemy’s plans, scattering and depressing the devils because their attempt didn’t work. And if you find that you have fallen into the temptation of anger, then immediately try to make peace with your brother. Recognize the error in your attitude and apologize. That is how you preserve brotherly love”
That was the end of Jesus’ message.
Lord, please create in me a pure heart.
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