SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1170

“From Anger to Thanksgiving”

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. – Ephesians 4:26-27

We seem to be living in a world environment today that is on a rolling boil waiting to erupt in anger and rage. Is your temper on a hair trigger? What are some of the things people do that get ‘under your skin’?

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. – Ephesians 4:31

Our actions triggered by anger can frighten us as well as others when we give full vent to the emotion. Worldly anger usually stems from our self-will being blocked and it almost always leads us down a path we will later regret.

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; – James 1:19

Anger, however, is not a sin. Jesus was angry and He never sinned. Anger is merely an emotion albeit a strong one. The sin results from why we are angry and what we do with the anger. The sin results in where we let our anger lead us. Jesus demonstrated how to handle righteous anger.

Again, he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. – Mark 3:1-5

Anger can lead to good. It can lead to thanksgiving. The Pilgrims who first settled in America at Plymouth Colony were angry with the Church of England’s moral corruption and with religious persecution. The Pilgrims’ anger led them to leave their home country and lay the foundation for the world’s greatest free nation.

Jesus’ anger with the Pharisees’ hard hearts led to healing and thanksgiving to God for the healing of the man’s hand. In contrast, the Prodigal Son’s brother’s anger stemmed from his jealousy and led to hurt feelings and alienation from his father and brother.

…for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. – James 1:20

God has ‘wired’ each of us with passions. There are things that passionately motivate us to action. Sometimes that passion is joyous and sometimes it feels like anger. What provokes your passions? What issues exist that motivate you to positive action? What motivates you to make a positive difference, even for just one person?

Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you to discern selfish anger from righteous anger. Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you to positive action – to make a difference in this world in the Name of Jesus Christ to His praise and glory. Allow your anger to lead to thanksgiving.

May you have a blessed and joyous Thanksgiving Holiday!