Be Angry - Ephesians 4:26

 

Anger is dangerous and yet...

Everyone gets angry. I see that anger's correct place in my life is to energize me to correct wrongs, hurts, and injustice.

And Anger is dangerous. That doesn't mean that it is sin. In the hands of a godly, humble person, anger is a path to conflict resolution.

My issue with anger has been that I didn't want to admit my anger, even to myself. I thought that pushing it away and not acting on it was not letting the sun go down on it.

When I'm angry, I must admit it to myself.

Getting cut off in traffic is not a righteous reason to be angry. Hearing the news that a friend got robbed is a righteous reason to be angry.

Proper anger motivates me to righteous action.

Either way, I must admit it to myself and to God. When I get cut off in traffic and get angry yet don't confess it, I create a long-term problem. I stuff it down where it surfaces later, sometimes adding heat to a situation I'm trying to handle. My anger flares for no apparent reason. It's because I was holding on to it but didn't want to admit it.

If there is a righteous reason to be angry, I must admit it too. Then, I might be able to do something righteous in response. But if I deny my anger, I store up anxiety farther down the road.

I must admit it to myself and to God, yes. But sometimes, I must talk to another person about it. If I see a person do something wrong to me or another, I may realize that it is important to speak the truth in love about a situation to someone. If someone hurts me or another person, I want it to stop. Proper anger motivates me to do that.

None of that is easy for me. But the verse says to be angry, yet don't sin. And handle it quickly (don't let the sun go down on it).

Lord, help me be honest about my anger. Please give me clarity about how to handle it. Teach me how to not be in denial, and help me speak the truth in love, today. To You, I surrender. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.