There seems to be great cause for anger these days. Offenses flow like water from a fountain and anger rises in responses.
Have you ever watched a storm gather on the lake and make its way landward, or come coursing over the brow of the ridge above Grand Marais and blow its way into town? At first the clouds can be just puffy wisps of white, like the last threads of cotton candy on the carnival spinner. Soon, though, those wisps thicken and grow, merging and boiling together into great gray clouds of energy packed with thunder and lightning and rain.
Christian anger at a perceived offense often acts the same way. A minor or unintentional slight feeds upon the sinful energy of unredeemed pride, and soon full-fledged wrath is flung indignantly at the source of hurt.
I’ve run into enough people lately who have taken offense at someone and are suffering the isolating and spiritually defeating effects of ungodly anger that it seems pertinent to the times in which we live to address the subject briefly here.
The anger of which I write is the same rage that James writes of in James 1:19-20, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.”
It is the anger that is listed frequently in the New Testament as a sin that must be “put away.”
If you find yourself facing bout after bout of anger and wanting God to step in and change your heart in this respect, then consider these four suggestions for reducing anger in your life.
First, we have to acknowledge the sinful roots of anger. Anger is the fruit of pride and most angry outbursts, silent or loud, are the fruit of indulging carnal pride. When “I” have been hurt, then “I” must strike back. Pride is at the root of all sin, and must be confessed as sin if we are to receive God’s forgiveness and experience the ongoing freedom from sin he offers.
Second, once you’ve acknowledged the sinful root of anger, it is easier to accept the efforts others make to apologize. Don’t hold on to anger. There is no profit in it. It does not produce the righteousness that God requires, so let it go.
Letting anger go leads us to actuate forgiveness. Forgiveness is always a decision made by the one who forgives. It can never be earned and must always be given. So, decide to give it.
Finally, avoid affronts. If we learn to forego being offended, we’ll be offended a lot less. Give the people around you the benefit of the doubt, especially if they’ve given no cause for offense before. Each of us retains the power over the reactions we make to others. Our reactions belong to us. No one can force our responses. Christ gives those who walk with Him in faith the power to freely respond to others with patience and righteousness and forgiveness.
That’s the Good News.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This week our contributor is Pastor Dale McIntire who has served as pastor of the Cornerstone Community Church in Grand Marais since April of 1995.
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