March 10th, 2023
by Steve Marshall
by Steve Marshall
February 23, 2018
Hello GCT: How often does anger hurt your family, your work relationships, your neighbor, you, God? Usually, anger makes us do one of three things or maybe even all three. Anger has a tendency to make us:
1) Clam anger up and hold it all in
2) Throw anger up on other people verbally and physically
3) Talk anger up amongst our neighbors and not deal with the problem
We see clearly in scripture that God the Father and God the Son both engage in anger and yet don't sin. The Bible says that God has slow righteous anger. How do we live in this world where there is so much potential for kids, husbands, wives, bad drivers, coworkers, stop lights, government, etc. to make us ANGRY and yet don’t sin in our anger? We have to understand the biblical definition of anger.
ANGER = Love that is outraged and provoked in defense of something good released against something evil.
Do you see that having the emotion of anger actually makes us moral beings acting out against injustice?
Being RIGHTEOUSLY ANGRY, makes us moral beings acting out against injustice and responding to wrong done in our culture and society. As believers we have been called and commanded to GET ANGRY in a constructive way that is energized by mercy and forgiveness given to those who are hurt and exercising justice towards the offender.
Unrortunately, very often our anger is fueled by pride and selfishness. I get angry because I am not getting my way, or people are not meeting my unspoken expectations, when people invade my schedule, my expectations, and my agenda. Basically, I am god and you are interfering and that is making me very angry - that is not righteous anger.
I hope to see you Sunday as we continue to apply the doctrine of who we are in Christ through simple everyday commands like Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.”
I love GCT, Steve
1) Clam anger up and hold it all in
2) Throw anger up on other people verbally and physically
3) Talk anger up amongst our neighbors and not deal with the problem
We see clearly in scripture that God the Father and God the Son both engage in anger and yet don't sin. The Bible says that God has slow righteous anger. How do we live in this world where there is so much potential for kids, husbands, wives, bad drivers, coworkers, stop lights, government, etc. to make us ANGRY and yet don’t sin in our anger? We have to understand the biblical definition of anger.
ANGER = Love that is outraged and provoked in defense of something good released against something evil.
Do you see that having the emotion of anger actually makes us moral beings acting out against injustice?
Being RIGHTEOUSLY ANGRY, makes us moral beings acting out against injustice and responding to wrong done in our culture and society. As believers we have been called and commanded to GET ANGRY in a constructive way that is energized by mercy and forgiveness given to those who are hurt and exercising justice towards the offender.
Unrortunately, very often our anger is fueled by pride and selfishness. I get angry because I am not getting my way, or people are not meeting my unspoken expectations, when people invade my schedule, my expectations, and my agenda. Basically, I am god and you are interfering and that is making me very angry - that is not righteous anger.
I hope to see you Sunday as we continue to apply the doctrine of who we are in Christ through simple everyday commands like Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.”
I love GCT, Steve
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