I am sooooo mad!

Too often we are angry about something. It is not that anger is an unreasonable response in some situations. Jesus got angry when the "money changers" were misusing the Temple to do business. But, we are not the righteous, sinless Son of God. He teaches us the following:

"But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says,' You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:22-24 NKJV "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4: 29-32 NKJV

You have just read the "basics" about anger. Call no man a fool, don't come to God with a gift if you are angry with a brother, speak in a way that edifies, builds up and imparts grace to others and do not grieve the Holy Spirit by being angry. No bitterness, bad temper and evil speaking should overtake you. Be kind, tenderhearted and forgive others just as Jesus has forgiven you. Do you think you can do these things in and of your own strength? I assure you, our "lower nature", our sinful flesh "rules" unless you consciously decide that does not need to be the case. It grieves our Lord when you cave in and get angry! The Holy Spirit in you is the only way you will ever cope with anger.

A man I know told his children the following verse every time they would get ready to go to bed, mad: "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27 NKJV. Then he would make them give each other a hug and say they were sorry. Now maybe they were not truly sorry but they never forgot the lesson. Don't let the sun go down on your anger because when you do you are giving the devil the victory. King David said, "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret - it only causes harm." Anger hurts both sides. Do you feel there is victory in "beating up" on someone physically or mentally?

Listen to Jesus' brother, James: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:17-18 NKJV.

Paul said "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth." Colossians 3:8 NKJV.

Discuss how you have successfully handled anger or when and why you failed to do so. Is this topic a sort of microcosm, a small scale, of the whole battle between your tendency to sin and your desire to be like Jesus? What steps can be taken to win this battle?

Core Christian Value: Do not let the sun set on a family disagreement. God's will for our lives is harmony with Him and each other. Anger is a tool of Satan. Do not let him win.