Righteous Indignation

Righteous Indignation
I'll be honest with you the amount of scripture regarding anger is a bit overwhelming.  I had a hard time pin pointing one specific scripture on righteous indignation.  What I did learn about it is that righteous indignation is what Christ means when He says 'be angry, but don't sin'.  Everything I've learned about it points to this type of anger that addresses sin, being mad at the sin not the sinner.  I've always loved that phrase.  Let me back up and tell you why I'm digging into the definition of righteous indignation.

I've been on a very interesting journey these past few months, I've had some earth shattering and some life changing moments.  I've said it several thousands of times now, God has called me to come up higher.  All the while I've been working on the things God has told me to fix the enemy has been nipping at my heels pestering me at every turn.  I'm sure I'm not alone, I'm certain most of you have heard the exact same lies whispered in your ear that I have 'No one likes you' 'no one wants you here' 'you don't belong here' ' you're not good enough' 'sin, sin, SIN' 'Think bad thoughts'. 

Most of you know I'm a writer, I've got a very imaginative mind and it gets carried away...a lot.  Satan takes full advantage of that and I have found it harder and harder to control my thoughts ever since I've began this new journey.  Don't worry, I get it, I know that the devil working against me is all the more proof that I'm on the right path, but it's sooooo annoying!  This Sunday I'm at church, people are praising, the music is fantastic, but I can't stop hearing over and over again how certain people don't like me, don't want me there, so forth and so on.  I'm praying, I'm telling Satan to shut up, I'm telling him to get behind me, I'm praying the blood over my mind but nothings working.  Finally I get to the point where I can't even praise.

'GOD', I say 'Don't you see this?  Why are you letting him do this to me?  Make him leave me alone!'
His response, ever so sweetly, calmly, patiently...

'Righteous indignation.'

I don't know what righteous indignation means, I've heard it before, I assume it means get angry so I say back...

'I am angry Lord.  Make it stop, it's annoying me, I'm praying why isn't it stopping?'

"You're not angry.  You're complacent.  When you leave the protection of the church doors you're afraid.  You're not angry with the enemy, you're afraid of him.  Learn righteous indignation.'

Oooooouuuuuch.  Shortly after this my pastor, God bless him, calls for an alter call.  I love alter calls.  I have the same argument every time the situation arises.

'Don't call me out Lord because I am not going up there.  I worked very hard on my mascara and eyeliner this morning and I cry every time I go down there'.  He doesn't even bother with replying anymore, if He calls I go.  This Sunday morning our pastor called for all those sick of the body and I thought 'HA, YESSSS, I am healthy as a horse!' Then he said something along the lines of 'anyone struggling with something they can't seem to break and you want God to intercede please raise your hands.

Now I don't know how things are at your church but usually at mine if you lift your hands you're going to be called up and up I went.  I didn't look up to see but I recognized the sweet voice of our pastors wife, she prayed for me to not be, that's right, you guessed it...afraid.  I'm telling you, God has the greatest sense of humor, that little smarty pants will make it as obvious as possible what He wants you to do so long as you'll listen.  So I'm blogging today about righteous indignation and the new work the Lord is doing in my heart.

I've got to learn to get angry at the enemy, I'm fighting, and losing, a battle that's already been won for me.  Jesus Christ beat that mean ol devil, He did the dirty work for us.  When the enemy tells me a lie behind it is a truth that the Lord is whispering for me to hear.

Satan: No body likes you
God: I love you, I gave my son for you
Satan: No one wants you here
God: You are where I want you
Satan: You don't belong here
God: I am here, you belong with me
Satan: You're not good enough
God: You are the apple of my eye
Satan: Sin, sin, SIN
God: Be holy as your father in heaven is holy
Satan: Think bad thoughts
God: Whatever is pure, what ever is good, whatever is worthy of praise, these things think on.

You see, the reason the truth is behind Satan's lies is because of what he is lying about, shallow, fleshly, worldly things that bother our flesh.  We want to be liked, to fit in, but when we figure out who we are in Christ we can identify the truth.  Satan's lies should burn the truth into our minds with the fire of righteous indignation. 

Righteous Indignation.  I'm not there yet, I'm wrapping my mind around it, I'm getting there.  Be angry at sin, be angry at what it does, what the enemy is doing.  He steals my confidence, my security, my time, and if I let him, my future.  But God's word promises to give back what the devil stole from us.  God's word promises.  Satan's lies destroy.