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When God is Out
By Emmanuel Donkor
Getting angry over decisions or choices we make in our day-to-day lives, when we are solely responsible for the choices, is not the best. We often come to this position because of two things. First, we often neglect the godly counsel found in the Bible whenever we face tough choices. In Proverbs 3:6, Solomon advises us to “acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight.” Because we cannot predict accurately, we have to seek the One who has prior knowledge of what is to come. When we seek divine help, we put ourselves in a confident position with the knowledge God is working on our behalf. Second, we ignore the counsel that is given to us. While we are blessed to receive Godly wisdom from Him, we neglect or totally ignore the instructions that are given to us, and this brings a lot of heartache and pain.
As the first king of Israel, Saul was given Godly counsel about the war with the Philistines. Not only did he ignore the instructions but also justified the reasons why he had ignored the instructions (1 Samuel 13:1-15; 15:1-34). The consequences of his actions were that he missed the opportunity to secure the kingship of Israel for his children. Samuel rightly told him, “you have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time” (1 Samuel 13:13).
In his book, Failing Forward: Turning Mistakes Into Stepping Stones For Success, John C. Maxwell reiterates the importance of learning from mistakes and not to let anger get in the way of success. He notes that making mistakes is part of growing up and are indicators of success. We can only reach the summit of our calling when we learn from the mistakes we make daily. Certainly, getting angry for missing ‘the perfect opportunity’ is not the right approach to living our lives according to God’s will, even if it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Esau – A Case Study
The story of Jacob and Esau recorded in Genesis 27 is a good illustration of what happens when we make wrong choices. The story teaches the value of humility in getting a second chance. Esau makes a wrong choice of selling his birthright to Jacob for “some bread and some lentil stew” (Genesis 25:34). As the first-born son, he was the next in line to be the head of a large extended family and its property. He was also due for a double portion of land, the priesthood and the kingship. As it turned out, he allowed his stomach to get in the way of eternal riches. And even though for a second time, Jacob outsmarts him to get the blessings from Isaac, the ‘harm’ had already been done. Isaac, in answering Esau, reveals what we can do when we miss out on opportunities. He said, “But when you grow restless, you would throw his yoke from off your neck” (Genesis 27:40). There is no doubt that controlling one’s feelings in such circumstances is very difficult if not impossible, however, letting your anger get in the way is not the best way out. We ought to let God deal with our emotions to the point where He can trust us with another opportunity.
God knows who we are. God also knows our weaknesses as well as our limitations. He is ready to give us another opportunity, even though it may not be the same as the previous one, which we missed as a result of wrong choices. In some cases, He gives us better opportunities than the former. David and Bathsheba lost the child that came out of their affair, but in the end, God gave them another son in the person of Solomon who later became the heir to the throne. “Growing restless” is the answer to dealing with emotions and taking decisions that goes with it. It provides an opportunity to go back to the Originator, for He is willing to give us a second chance.
It’s Time To Calm Down: God Will Provide A Second Chance
God in His infinite wisdom has provided another door for His children to walk through to live victorious lives. If we willingly humble ourselves before God rather than allowing our anger and emotion get the better part of us, He is ready to offer us another opportunity to get to the top. There are far better opportunities exceeding the previous ones ready to be taken. However, it is only for those who would humble themselves, forsake their past and evil ways, and hearken to the voice of the Almighty God. As always, God gives us many opportunities to work toward perfection. i
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