Have you ever been so mad you felt like you were seeing RED? Unfortunately, I have to admit that there have been times in my life when I let anger rule my spirit. Later, I had to ask myself if my anger was a sin. The conclusion that I came to may be a surprise to some who read this.
The Bible in the Book of Ephesians, the fourth chapter and verse 26 reads, "Be angry, and do not sin...(NKJV)." That means that just being angry is NOT a sin. But Paul was quick to add "and do not sin". So there is sin that may result from being angry. Verse 26 continues, "do not let the sun go down on your wrath." A husband and wife have an anger filled arguement and both go to bed in the evening without having resolved their anger. They wake up the next morning after fuming through the night and find that they are even more angry than the night before.
If we "let the sun go down on our wrath"--if we do not resolve the anger in our lives it then becomes a part of our disposition and we become an angry person. It becomes our personality and in so doing "we give place to the devil in our lives". Many good Christians have allowed anger to open the door to the devil in their lives. Being angry is not sin. Jesus was angry at times. God became angry. The sin is the problem or root behind our anger.
In our anger we can become a living weapon against the cause of Christ. If we have unresolved anger in our lives we can literally become a living shotgun walking around killing those we love. How many times out of anger have you said things to your spouse or your children or your parents or friends that later you wished you had not? How much hurt have angry words brought into your life?
Ephesians 4:31, 32 reads: "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". There are "Christians" who attend the same church and sit across the aisle from each other who have not spoken in years as a result of unresolved anger. Christianity must be practical for it to have an impact. And so we need to practice what is written concerning anger. If you must go ahead and be angry but let it be resolved quickly. Do not let it become a part of your disposition. Practice being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. What a wonderful difference it will make--not just in your own life but in the lives of those around you.
The Bible in the Book of Ephesians, the fourth chapter and verse 26 reads, "Be angry, and do not sin...(NKJV)." That means that just being angry is NOT a sin. But Paul was quick to add "and do not sin". So there is sin that may result from being angry. Verse 26 continues, "do not let the sun go down on your wrath." A husband and wife have an anger filled arguement and both go to bed in the evening without having resolved their anger. They wake up the next morning after fuming through the night and find that they are even more angry than the night before.
If we "let the sun go down on our wrath"--if we do not resolve the anger in our lives it then becomes a part of our disposition and we become an angry person. It becomes our personality and in so doing "we give place to the devil in our lives". Many good Christians have allowed anger to open the door to the devil in their lives. Being angry is not sin. Jesus was angry at times. God became angry. The sin is the problem or root behind our anger.
In our anger we can become a living weapon against the cause of Christ. If we have unresolved anger in our lives we can literally become a living shotgun walking around killing those we love. How many times out of anger have you said things to your spouse or your children or your parents or friends that later you wished you had not? How much hurt have angry words brought into your life?
Ephesians 4:31, 32 reads: "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". There are "Christians" who attend the same church and sit across the aisle from each other who have not spoken in years as a result of unresolved anger. Christianity must be practical for it to have an impact. And so we need to practice what is written concerning anger. If you must go ahead and be angry but let it be resolved quickly. Do not let it become a part of your disposition. Practice being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. What a wonderful difference it will make--not just in your own life but in the lives of those around you.
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