A philosophy of life that works is one that gives perspective or purpose to the irritations that we encounter. I want to invite you now to put a different frame on the problems that you have and to look for the potential purpose behind them.
How does God help us grow? He helps us to grow by giving us challenges that are beyond our skill set. Sometimes we would love to pray away, prophesy away or rebuke away these challenges, but God actually sent them to accomplish a purpose.
In my studies over the years, I’ve discovered some quotes that are positively life-transforming. One of them has to do with the two classes of irritations. So catch this:
“There are many irritations which we experience which we can and should remove. A squeaky door can be oiled; an angry neighbor can be appeased; and a personal habit can be changed. There are other irritations, however, which are beyond our power to correct or remove. These irresolvable irritations provide the basis for a significant process which God intends to take place within each of our lives.” –Research in Principles of Life Basic Seminar Textbook
What is this process?
- Personal transformation: One of those processes is that the irritant is actually sent to refine or shape us. For instance, there might be a person who is overbearing or rude or irritating, and God has them in our life—not for the purpose of us getting away from them—but for the purpose of us maturing in our own fruit of the spirit. This is so that we can, in a sense, outgrow the immaturity of where we were before we met the irritant.
- Favor in relationships: Interesting promise, that once a man’s ways please the Lord, the Lord causes even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7). You might see that God literally changes the relationship you have with someone once you humble yourself. As you become more flexible and gentle, or perhaps open to reproof, willing to learn, listen or ask better questions, you begin to find favor in otherwise strained relationships. Now, suddenly, that former irritant has become for you the opportunity—like the potter’s wheel—to be made into a more beautiful vessel.
I encourage you to look at this idea of transforming irritations into opportunities to grow before you discard the irritation or summarily assume that the irritation is something the devil sent. It could be God’s gift in your life.
——— OR ———
It could be God's chastisement to wake you up! Israel was told to deal with the “ites” in their land or they would multiply and become “pricks in your side” (Numbers 33:55). They were warned that these enemies would become a nonstop source of irritating intrusion and erosion of freedom. Have you heeded the Lord’s warning to deal with the “ites” in your life?
Question: Are there times when you are responsible for creating your own irritations? Comment below!
As One!
Lance
There are two things I understand you are saying in your post –
1) As a human parent you would put a lot of irritants in your kids lives as gifts or to chastise them!
Or else
2) You are better than God!
Anything that steals our peace has to be an irritant right?! But if the Bible says that the chastisement of our ‘peace’ was upon Jesus then why would God take it back and put it on His children for whom He gave His Beloved Son up to die and bear their sins! Besides,the Bible also says that, ‘surely’ He has borne our griefs (our sicknesses, diseases, afflictions, oppressions, infirmities, etc) and carried our sorrows (our pains), He was wounded for our transgressions and by His stripes we are healed!
Paul himself says that the thorn in his flesh which he asks the Lord to help him with, is NOT from God – & Jesus tells him that His grace (His undeserved, unmerited and unearned favor) is sufficient for him….
Why then do we arrive at all this religious stuff and put on more burdens on a people already bogged down with so many depressive situations all around?!! We need to set people free to stand in the righteousness of God, Who is Christ and know that in Him, even though we have irritants, or we fail / fall time and again, His Grace is freely available to lift us up and take us through.
I have written quite a lot to you Shally Joseph. The following is what I wrote not intending to write this much, but I just kept writing and would like for you to reply if you choose to read it all. I’m commenting on your statement Shally Joseph; ” As a human parent you would put a lot of irritants in your kids lives as gifts or to chastise them! ”
That is for the most part a false statement because you and I know that any good parent would not intentionally irritate their children with so called gifts of chastisement! I understand that you do not agree with your statement either, since the rest of your comments contradict that statement. I pretty much agree with the rest of your comments. I believe that you agree with the Bible and the things it actually says about what Jesus did for everyone when He took upon Himself sins, sickness/disease, demonic oppression, and poverty of the whole world. God’s Word proves the statement is false, if a person believes that God sends irritations. Your comments following that statement appear to me that you agree that it is indeed false because Jesus took ALL sins, diseases, demons, and poverty when He died for the whole world. (Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you WERE healed. Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we ARE healed.)
According to the Bible, God is not sending irritants to teach his children anything! The trials and tribulations that everyone experience as His children are because we are in this sinful world and subjected to it’s environment. What kind of Good Father would He be if He sent irritants to teach us something or to grow us up? (John 10:10 The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:11 I am the GOOD shepherd: the GOOD shepherd gives his life for the sheep.)
According to God’s Word there are another forces in this world that He is able to use to bring about a persons maturity. Gravity is one of those forces and if you deny it’s ability to seriously injure or kill you, when you jump from a ten story building you are not going to be around to argue your case! Neither will you be alive if you deny the existence of the impact you will receive if you step out in front of a speeding automobile! God has laws of nature that He set in place to protect us. If we choose to believe and respond correctly to them we can live a much longer and healthier life.
There is another force who has rebelled against God from the beginning. It’s the enemy of our souls and he is out to destroy God’s creation because he believes that he is going to be as God and that he will win over God. However, I believe that God does use the enemy’s schemes to awaken hearts and encourage people to draw close to God in prayer, but the Lord doesn’t send him. All we have to do is open the door to sin and the enemy finds a way to get in unless we keep him out by loving God and others more and repenting when we are aware of our sinfulness. (1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.)
God uses the Ten Commandments to make one realize that they need a Savior. When a person tries to keep the Law and fails to keep it perfectly, hopefully they recognize that they need a Savior and that they cannot be their own god. Once they recognize that they are not capable of keeping the Law perfectly, hopefully that person will call on Jesus to be their Savior. (Romans 3:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.)
After a person receives Jesus by responding to His grace through faith, they will begin to see that they have behavior issues. We understand through God’s WORD that these issues can only be overcome by the renewing of the mind through the WORD, HOLY SPIRIT, and the BLOOD of Jesus. (Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind through the WORD, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the HOLY SPIRIT, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. Revelations 12:11 And they overcame him by the BLOOD of the Lamb, and by the WORD of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.)
As one reads the Word, meditates, and prays, Jesus then reveals Himself to them. He shows them that He is their TRUE identity. He shows them that as Jesus is in this world so are they! (1 John_4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.) They also see the wrong things about their heart and He (Holy Spirit) encourages them to allow Jesus to make the changes. The Word becomes a mirror and also shows them not only who they are in Christ but areas where they have opened the door to the devil, neglected the Word and neglected fellowship with Jesus and neglected fellowship with the body of Christ. (James 1:24 For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. James 1:25 But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.)
But if they continue in the Word, prayer, and repentance they will learn who they are in Christ! They can cash in on the beautiful opportunities Christ offers through the Grace of His Awesome Gift of Salvation, Deliverance, Healing, and Provision that has already been provided by Jesus! If they continue to engage with Jesus and His children agreeing with Him when they do wrong, admitting they are wrong and God is right! God will change them more and more into the image of Christ as they cooperate with Him.
As they admit they are wrong, believe that their sins are all forgiven past, present and future, and repent (repent means to turn around, and go the opposite way they were going, NOT groveling before God feeling condemned and full of guilt) then God changes them, faith to faith, strength to strength, and glory to glory. (Romans 1 :17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Psalms 84:7 They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appears before God. 2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.)
Repenting doesn’t forgive them the moment they repent, because forgiveness is already theirs since it was given 2,000 years ago by Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It doesn’t put a feather in their cap or make them more holy, because they are already holy and righteous if they have responded to that glorious Grace that Jesus has offered to all mankind! Repentance doesn’t make you more holy. The Holy Spirit within a person is what makes them holy and righteous before God. When a person is born again they receive Holy Spirit and all the fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, endurance, gentleness, goodness, faith, Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.)
Even though repentance doesn’t make a person holier or more righteous, it washes their soul and makes them more aware of how great God is. Repentance humbles people and enables them to love God more, to love Jesus more, and Holy Spirit more. Repentance keeps the enemy out and allows the Holy Spirit to flow more freely through you so you can be an example to others and a blessing to yourself!
The goal of any born again believer should be that they desire to become more and more like Jesus. This is not accomplished by anything we do but through what Jesus has done already! ( 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 1 Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.)
If they are not changed by the Word, Holy Spirit, and the blood of Jesus, then they won’t mature in the Lord! They will stay babies in Christ. It’s also a possibility that they haven’t truly been born again. That could be why they are NOT maturing and becoming like Jesus. (John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again. 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever.)
Ephesians 2:8 For by GRACE are you saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: GRACE is God’s part toward them and FAITH is their response to the GRACE of God that has already been provided through Jesus Christ when He died for them 2,000 years ago!
Past, present, and future sins have ALL been washed away by the blood of the Lamb!! Hallelujah!! What a Savior!! (Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now ONCE in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men ONCE to die, but after this the judgment: Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was ONCE offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.) Hallelujah!! JESUS IS LORD!!! WHAT A SAVIOR!!
When 2 of my children announced they were gay I spent 2 years “warring” against the attack of the enemy and watched as my family grew further apart despite of my highly accurate Word-based prayers. I was miserable. Too weary to fight on, I surrendered to the Lord and asked Him for help. Grace revelations came through humility. Love began it’s work. Each day brings it challenges but my version of “Modern Family” has brought us closer together. It has been several years and now the kids in question, with their partners, want to move into our area and gain the benefits of familial support.
So glad I opened this email this morning! Needed this word as I start my day. Timely as election day grows closer and so many angry voices! Also listened on facebook. I am usually not easily irritated, but sometimes the stress of the day can be overwhelming and I find little things build up and I “come unglued.” Take care of the little foxes before they become giants!! Thanks Lance!
Thank you this came at a critical time and I will be looking with new eyes today at my situation!
Thank you Lance, yet again. I find this to be like a portion of meat to chew on. And the desire to be able to get aside with. I guess, to get the ‘meat’ of it. The best part. To not just choke it down, but to really chew and properly digest it, for the purpose of the intent. This really is speaking to an area of my life at this time. I look forward to spending some quality time feeding on this served portion.
If I may share, just as an observation for me and from my experience. No offense intended at all;
I found myself distracted when listening to you in this video clip. It felt kinda weird in a sense. It just didn’t… It seemed out of place somehow. Like you were out of your element. In someone else’s box or stage. I found myself distracted in listening while trying to adjust to the scenery/forum. Is this just me? If so, that’s ok. The meat is worth it. 😉
Again, not intended to insult, just an observation on my part. Not irritated, just… observant. Thanks for letting me share.
BTW, I’m a bit of an analyst. C&S on the chart. ???
I believe all of what you have said. My walk has been one of 40 years with The fruit of the Spirit being formed in my life AND still is.
I had a friend who I liked very much. She had a lot of spiritual attacks that were hideous. As a pastor/prophetic person I tried to help her over a period of 10 years. I am an Itinerate minister to different nations as well as to the US. I realized I was being swayed and attacked by a Jezebel spirit in her life. I confronted it and had to part from the friendship. Question. Did I do the right thing?
I am working on it. (irritants)
Sleep deprivation (for me) is like cutting Samson’s hair.
I feel sorry for the psychologist C Eloff. If he had courage he would follow Jesus, not the stuff in his head/philosophy of men. No draw to him, as a friend as he isn’t true north.
Thanks for all your support. 🙂
This is a message that been lost in recent years. I remember attending the IBYC many times and hearing about offenses and how to respond to people in our lives who are most annoying. Thanks for this good reminder to reflect on offenses! Perhaps it is time to do some internal soul-searching. One key component that should not be overlooked is to “love Thy law”. Studying God’s Word will grow deep roots and we will be able to find refreshment. As God increases in our mind’s eye, offenses often seem to disappear.
Thank you, again, for the good reminder.
Holy Hallelujah…
Like finger nails on a chock board…
The sound that comes from an MOUTH while eating!!!
Smacking drives me NUTTS!!!
Something I learned from my Mother and Older Brother, but my Brother was the enforcer of strict discipline when I was old enough to learn manners at the dinner table!!!
But My Brother was like that because my Mother taught him well… Yet I can’t remember my Mother being strict with me….. Strange how something is passed down from generation to generation!!
Just a thought!
But when a Minister of the Lord… Like Mr. Clement whom I Love, Glorifies Peter, Joshua, Esther….
IT IS FAR WORSE THAN FINGURE NAILS ON A CHOCK BOARD!!!!!!! “”Fervent Passion stirs with unexpected outpouring of the Lords Zeal….. or a trip to the woodshed!!! lol
Unfortunately, I have been the direct cause of most of my challenges. I thank the Lord, after too many years, He is teaching me that through obedience, I can shorten or eliminate a lot of irritations. In this day, I believe that we MUST overcome the problem of offenses. Irritation with someone or something can lead to offense. Offenses can open the door to things we, as Christians, do not want to entertain at all in our lives. So, to answer your question, yes, I have been the cause and yes, God has used them to prune me. There have been times I’ve been pruned by the Lord to the point I wondered if I could ever bear fruit again; only to find that that type of pruning actually allowed me to bear more fruit than I ever imagined. I’d like to say this process was over….It is not, because I am loved by my Father and there is always more to go. I am thankful that Jesus said when we are weak, He is strong. I know I, alone, can not “kill” myself or even give Him my all, but through His strength all things are possible. He who began a good work in us is faithful to complete it.
As Roberts Lairdon once said (and I never forgot) “Dead flesh takes no offense.”
As One
Georgia