UNPACK This...Letting Go of AngerSample

Chip On My Shoulder

Whenever the NFL Draft rolls around, there are inevitably players who end up being selected much later in the draft than initially anticipated. In some cases, players who thought they would hear their name called end up going undrafted altogether.

When players get drafted later than expected, or perhaps not at all, it is easy for them to feel rejected and discouraged. Simply put, the draft can be a humiliating, disappointing, and frustrating experience.

We often hear analysts talk about how these players will play with a “chip on their shoulder.” This means they will use their perceived slight as motivation. They will set out to prove teams wrong, playing with anger and determination.

For the most part, this is a celebrated mindset. We admire a player for having a “chip on his shoulder” because we think it will help him play better.

Anger may help on the football field, but is allowing bitterness and frustration to be the driving force of motivation really what’s best?

I wonder how many of us live similarly. Are we hanging onto past hurts, disappointments, and rejections as some kind of badge of honor?

Even if the “chip on our shoulder” has motivated us in some way, ultimately its root is anger and bitterness.

As followers of Jesus, we are motivated by love, grace, and hope. We know that in Christ there is freedom and healing from our past. We don’t need a “chip on our shoulder” because God gives us a heart that is being transformed to willingly forgive.

Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to ”Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.”

Instead of setting out with a “chip on our shoulder,” let’s choose to be motivated by love as we experience freedom and forgiveness because of Christ within us.

I’m Bryce Johnson, and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please show me the anger that I need to let go of. I don’t want to be bitter, resentful, and angry or pursue revenge. Please help me to forgive and experience freedom in You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.