We all get angry, and that is a reaction we see as normal. But is it really? I have been made aware by so many people, in my lifetime, that it is ok to get angry. The problem with this statement is we take it to heart, and then abuse and misuse it. All of a sudden it is ok if I get angry at another driver in traffic, or if I get angry at the person working too slow to my taste behind the till.
I hope you see that it very quickly becomes a very selfish emotion that we throw around. We use this emotion as an excuse to act out towards people that we feel are not behaving or reacting the way we want them to. Hard, isn’t it? So now the general way of arguing this case is that people use the scripture where Jesus tipped over the tables in the temple and even, used a whip to chase people out.
The problem with this, is the motive. Like all things in life, it is not really about the action but about the motive behind the action. Jesus was angered about injustice. About the abuse of the temple and the misuse of it. He was not angry about the way someone reacted in traffic or about marks that he didn’t get in a test but believed he earned.
26“In your anger do not sin”d : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. -Ephesians 4:26-27
Listen to that! Do not give the Devil a foothold. We tend to get angry over impure motives and this, is only opening up the door for devastion, hate, envy and is mostly driven by pride. Being angered about the right stuff is great, but getting angry without just cause is simply missing the Character of Christ. Guard your hearts.
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