When was the last time you got upset with someone because of something they did? Is that person the one you should be getting upset with? According to scripture, the answer is no.
The Bible says that our enemy is not flesh and blood (other people), but it is the strongholds and mindsets we have in our minds. When you get upset with someone, what is really happening is that a "button" was pressed inside of you that caused you to react in a destructive way. For example, I came out of many years of low self esteem, so what I thought I needed was constant validation from people. As a musician I had to be perfect because if I wasn't then people would look down at me...those are the thoughts that would go through my mind. So when someone would say, "Kent, you made a couple of mistakes in that piece you just played," instead of taking that as encouragement to practice more, I would take it personally and think they not only didn't ike my playing, but thought I was a horrible person, and therefore I would get upset with that person, and I would verbally lash out at that person. What God is saying in 2 Corinthians is that my battle is not with the other person, but with my mindset. Instead of getting upset with the other person, I need to re-direct all that energy, face my "wrong thinking" and allow God to heal me in that area.
Take Away: the next time you find yourself getting upset with someone because of something they said, or did, instead of getting angry with them, take a step back and ask God, "why am I reacting this way, what is it inside of me that needs to be healed?" He will show you truth, and it is the truth that will set you free.
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