Be Angry, But Don’t Sin
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. (Ephesians 4:26)
There is a common misconception about anger that needs to be cleared up. Feeling angry about something is not a problem. It’s not sinful. Even God gets angry. Psalm 7 talks about how God is a righteous God and a God who also feels anger and indignation. And if God, who is without sin, can be angry, then we know anger isn’t a sin.
However, we get into trouble when we give into that anger and our anger is the motivation for our sin. The thing about God is that He turns His anger into something good and productive. When God saw the mistreatment of the orphans, the widows, and the impoverished, the Bible says His wrath was kindled, and therefore He sent Moses to liberate His people from their oppression.
Similarly, we should too express some level of anger and rage toward the injustices in our world today. When we see racism, sexism, or bigotry, we should become angry and frustrated. But rather than let our anger and our rage ruin us, we should use it to advance us.
Moses learned that the problem wasn’t that he had anger, but that his anger had him and it became his master. And when that happens, that’s when you sin. But you have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to transform your anger into positive action.
So, the next time you’re angry, I would encourage you to consider how you can act on that anger in a manner that is positive, profitable, and productive, rather than acting on it a way that can be hurtful, harmful, and hypocritical. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and discernment when it comes to managing your anger, and pray that He will allow you to use it for good rather than for evil.
There is a common misconception about anger that needs to be cleared up. Feeling angry about something is not a problem. It’s not sinful. Even God gets angry. Psalm 7 talks about how God is a righteous God and a God who also feels anger and indignation. And if God, who is without sin, can be angry, then we know anger isn’t a sin.
However, we get into trouble when we give into that anger and our anger is the motivation for our sin. The thing about God is that He turns His anger into something good and productive. When God saw the mistreatment of the orphans, the widows, and the impoverished, the Bible says His wrath was kindled, and therefore He sent Moses to liberate His people from their oppression.
Similarly, we should too express some level of anger and rage toward the injustices in our world today. When we see racism, sexism, or bigotry, we should become angry and frustrated. But rather than let our anger and our rage ruin us, we should use it to advance us.
Moses learned that the problem wasn’t that he had anger, but that his anger had him and it became his master. And when that happens, that’s when you sin. But you have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to transform your anger into positive action.
So, the next time you’re angry, I would encourage you to consider how you can act on that anger in a manner that is positive, profitable, and productive, rather than acting on it a way that can be hurtful, harmful, and hypocritical. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and discernment when it comes to managing your anger, and pray that He will allow you to use it for good rather than for evil.
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