Rejection.

ANGER.

This 5-letter word packs a mean punch. It carries so much weight. It does so much damage. Like a tornado ripping through your heart.

Anger is a powerful and complex emotion, with many causes: stress, impatience, unmet expectations, referees who couldn't see a pass-interference call if it was sitting in their lap... sorry... bitter memories.

Many sparks can ignite the flame of anger, but most often the fire that burns hottest is stoked out of rejection.

There are many stories of anger and rejection throughout God's Word.

The story of Cain and Abel is the first appearance of anger in the Bible. The Lord accepted Abel, but didn't accept Cain because of His dark heart and evil intentions. (Gen.4:4-5).
King Saul was rejected by his people when they started to favor the heroic, golden boy David over himself. (1 Samuel 18:7-8).
And Jonah. He had a whale of a problem with anger. (Sorry...couldn't resist). Jonah didn't believe that the Ninevites were worthy of mercy, but God did. When God poured out his limitless forgiveness on the people of Nineveh, He was actively rejecting Jonah's opinion, which initially displeased and angered Jonah. (Jonah 4:1).
Even Jesus, the human form of the eternal God, faced a constant slew of rejection. God sent His son to take our sins on His shoulders, to save the world - a real life superhero, and people rejected Him. "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." (Matthew 21:42).

Rejection and anger aren't restricted to those old guys in their white robes and leather sandals. These are things that we deal with daily. You encounter rejection when you don't make the varsity cut. When you don't get the lead in the play that you wanted. When that girl you've been pursing for so long shoots you down. When your best friend finds someone else that they'd rather hang out with. Sometimes we even feel rejected by God. In the midst of trials and darkness, it's easy to think that God has forgotten you; that He's not listening and He doesn't have your back anymore.

But Christ feels your pain. He knows what rejection feels like; He's lived it. God's grace and love are exceptional in that it has no exceptions - God loves you no matter what and will never turn on you. If we think God is harsh and unfair, we will treat people harshly and unfairly. But when we discover that God has doused us with unconditional love, that should make a difference in how we regard people and situations.

"As you come to Him, the living Stone - rejected by human beings but chosen by God and precious to Him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy preisthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ... Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:4-5, 10).

Take your bitterness to God, who knows you better than anyone else and who understands your feelings. Leave your resentment at the Cross. When others reject you, let Christ accept you. He adores you. He sings over you. Take a long drink from His limitless love, and cool down.