Meanness

If you've ever listened to Beth Moore teach you know what a blessing she is to hear and what revelation she brings. Three weeks ago we started one of her studies at church on Esther... "it's tough being a woman." And it is! It's tough having double x chromosomes!! lol. It's tough having a period every month and hormonal chaos! It's tough living in the shadows of other women and it's tough living in a world where beauty is a treatment. Her lesson last night was on "Its tough being a woman in a mean world!" AMEN!! This world is mean! Or should I say that there are people in this world who are mean!

Meanness always has a history. ALWAYS! Keeping in mind we're studying Esther consider this: The hatred and anger that Haman (an Amalekite) had towards Mordecai (the jew) stems from a disobeyed instruction given to King Saul to annailate the Amalekite people. (1Sam 15:10-23,30) The spirit of Amalekite targets the defenseless, the weak. They were cowards and there's nothing meaner than a coward. The Lord wanted to rid the earth of ALL the Amalekite people but Saul failed to obey his command. And because of it.. Mordecai became victim to Haman's anger. The Amalekite people were wilderness enemies unprovoked. Meaning.. they attacked those were were weak, defenseless, they targeted those type of people because they were insecure. Insecurity is always at the heart of every rivalry.

Meanness perceives a threat. Have you ever just had a sudden wave of anger overcome you? To the point where you just stop and ask "where did that come from?" We as christians need to learn to identify why we feel threatened when we have the desire to be mean. Let me just stop here and say that I was and can still be at times a mean person. Don't lie to yourself.. because we ALL are at times! :-O But, why?? Consider this quote, "Surely as Christians we must recognize the spirit of Haman not only in our world but within ourselves." I'm not saying that that spirit controls us or that it is constantly manifest in our life but we need to stop and think about when anger rises up within us why we are feeling threatened at that moment. Do we get angry because we see beautiful, successful, ambitious, women who seem to have a perfect marriage, perfect house, perfect car and we think we don't measure up? Anger is power to those who have no other source of it. 2 Corinthians 10:12 basically says, that it's not wise to measure yourself up against others. Don't let others determine your self worth. Find your value in God and in who He has created YOU to be.

The wonderful thing is that Meanness is curable. Leave your"Haman" to God. Don't repay evil for evil. If you've ever encountered a mean woman overcome her evil with good. Don't bow down to her, don't serve her, but DO LOVE HER. Romans 12:17-21 says to leave room for God's vengeance. If you're fighting what feels like a war with a mean spirited woman you can rest assured that you will overcome if you'll leave it to God to avenge.

So what is a mean woman? In my opinion a mean woman is someone who degrades others to make herself feel better. I think a mean woman is someone who puts on a friendly front but then talks bad about you behind your back. Beth Moore said she thinks a mean woman is someone who dresses provactively in front of other women's husbands! You know what you're wearing when you leave the house girl!! lol.

SO.... all that to say this. When anger arises in our life, it's time we took note of why we are feeling threatened at that moment. Is it because of our own insecurities? Maybe that person was just mean? And if so.. heap burning coals on her head by being kind. Something a mean person most definitely is not.