Angry Man

“I didn’t know anything about it.” My supervisor said it without batting an eye. He, another employee and I had a meeting about an incident that had occurred where we worked. The incident, he, all of a sudden, knew nothing about.

Trying to help him out, I reminded him. “We met about it two weeks ago. We told you exactly what happened and how we responded to the issue. You told us we’d handled it well.”

Now we were meeting with a committee which “was looking into the incident” – a committee prepped by my supervisor. It was not looking good. There was no large hand, but even still the writing on the wall said he was hanging us out to dry.

“I remember having a meeting,” he admitted, “but we never talked about that.” Again, he didn’t even blink, just pasted a look of feigned innocence across his face.

It was at this moment when I, mild mannered man that I am, jumped up and yelled, “That’s a bold-faced lie!” Okay, it probably wasn’t my most graceful display. But did he lie? You bet.

Did my outburst change the minds of the committee members? Not even a little, in fact, the other employee and I were soon looking for employment elsewhere. I hate to admit it, but it took me a long time to forgive that man.

The anger I felt toward him wasn’t abandoned in that conference room. It wasn’t left in a desk drawer, like a discarded paper clip. Instead, I carried it with me to my next job. New bosses and future fellow-workers fell beneath the axe of my anger.

Friendships were impossible. Trust was totally absent. I lasted one year at my first job after the incident, and only nine months at the next.

Anger and bitterness are deceptive though. I didn’t really think I was angry. My resentment was wrapped in a quilt of pain and self-pity. Finally, God broke through my arrogance – and that’s what my self-pity was. He showed me the anger, I was determined to drag around, was sin.

Sometimes, you may have to sit side-by-side someone intent on causing you pain. It’s tough. It’s trying. And, it’s tolerable…if you remember Paul’s words.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Ephesians 5:12, EVS).

The man whose lie caused me pain was not the enemy, though I often thought of him that way. I imagine the forces of evil smiled every time I did. Remember, whether a coworker is driving you insane or causing you pain, that person was in the mind and heart of God when he sent his son to Earth.

If anyone had reason to be angry, it was Jesus. He was wounded for OUR transgressions, bruised for OUR iniquities. It was unjust, unfair, and yet he accepted the pain to bring glory to his father. Learn from my mistake and even more from Jesus example – forgive, befriend and love. Bring glory to the Father.

What about you?

Have you ever experienced a situation like this? How did you handle it? Let us know.