September 21, 1998
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.Ephesians 4:31-32
Anger has been a constant in my life. It's probably the one emotion that's prominent in me. Anger for me, is sinful, but it's not sin for everyone. For some, anger can be a motivating force for change. Martin Luther wrote of anger:
I'm the exact opposite. Anger clouds my judgment, makes it impossible for me to write, pray or preach. My whole temperment is changed, temptations become great. I've found my anger is one of the greatest forces for my personal destruction that I have. I do damage to myself and those around me with my anger. I lose all rational thought. I've nearly wrecked cars, caused hurt feelings and damaged things that are otherwise priceless to me. My wrath has been my downfall on many occasions. For me, anger is sinful behavior.
Through my relationship with Christ, I have learned to control the beast called anger. It no longer threatens to consume me. Instead, through Christ's life and teaching, I've found it easier to be kind to people, tenderhearted, forgiving. It's not been easy, but Paul's words strike me as true. I strive to be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving "as God in Christ forgave" me ... even me.
What a wonderful gift. To continue to feed my anger, my bitterness, would be to throw that gift back to God. To let my anger become my one controlling emotion would be to deny the wonderful forgiveness of God in Christ.
God has forgiven my sin of anger. What sin is holding you back? What sin, whether it's anger, wrongful sexual gratification, addiction, pride, or indifference, keeps you from experiencing the forgiveness of God through Christ?
Turn from your sin, "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."
Blessings,
"I never work better than when I am inspired by anger; when I am angry, I can write, pray, and preach well, for then my whole temperament is quickened, my understanding sharpened, and all mundane vexations and temptations depart."