Annoyed, Angry, and Full of Anxiety

Philippians 4:4-6 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Have you ever felt annoyed, angry, or full of anxiety? I know that at times I have felt all of these emotions strongly. Sometimes they are overwhelming. It doesn’t take much for the flesh to get riled up. That’s why, when I read the above verse, I get really convicted.

Did you know that the Apostle Paul was in jail when he wrote these words? I can’t imagine sitting in a modern day jail cell, writing something like that. And even more, Paul was most likely in a crude, disease and rodent infested Roman jail cell. And yet he did not write, “I am a Roman citizen myself and I am annoyed with this situation.” He could have written about his anger and frustration, and about his rights being infringed upon. Or he could have whined and said, “I am so worried about this! Why has God left me in this jail!?”

But you won’t find that mentality from the Apostle Paul. How humbling. I get annoyed, get angry, and worry over the most stupid things. I would be embarrassed to meet Paul, or much more, my Lord Jesus. They might say, “O you of little faith! Look at all you have – the car you drive, the roof over your head, the protection from your government, your money, your food, your church where you worship without persecution. You are blessed and yet you still complain.”

God forgive us! I’m so tired of American Christianity and it’s encouragement of the annoyed, angry, and anxiety filled Christian. I hunger to know Christ as the Apostle Paul did! For when we truly walk with Christ and know Him, we will more and more learn to respond to our difficulties as Paul did – with rejoicing in the Lord, with being gentle to all men, and being anxious about nothing.