"Angry?"

Published:
October 25, 2024 (27 days ago)

It’s not the main point of our text for Sunday but it is a part of the Biblical narrative, and it may be a part of your narrative. Are you angry? Maybe you are not throwing things around and cursing, but are you mad about something? Some people believe living with anger gives them an edge in life and makes them better at what they do. I like what Dallas Willard said, “Anything done in anger can be done better in love.” It would be nice if we could just decide that we will never be angry again and have that temptation go away but it is not that simple. Some of us struggle with anger more than others because it seems to be our default emotion. Some people cry, some people laugh, and some people get mad! Paul wrote to the Ephesians that we should “put off” anger but he also wrote “In your anger, do not sin.” (NIV) Anger doesn’t have an off/on switch. Sometimes, when we least expect it, we find ourselves angry. When that happens, I find it helpful to ask myself three questions. 1) Why am I angry? 2) Do I have a right to be angry? And 3) What will I do about this? I am seldom able to answer that third question without help from someone else. The first and best thing to do when we feel angry is to yield to the Holy Spirit. If there is anything righteous about our indignation, He will help us (often with the help of others) know what to do. If there is nothing righteous about our indignation, let’s drop it like a hot pan before somebody gets hurt.