Thursday,
March 16, 2023
So stop telling
lies. Let us tell our neighbors the
truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t
sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are
still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work,
and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use
foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that
your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy
Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he
has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day
of redemption. Get rid of all
bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil
behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:25-32
Each of the words or actions apostle Paul says we must banish from our
nature is a characteristic, or outcome of anger. Lying, harboring a grudge, stealing, foul
language, abusive behavior, bitterness, rage, slander, and every other
anti-social behavior is a child of selfish anger. At the very least they all are cousins. And they all are born in an unforgiving
heart. This is why the tail-end of Paul’s
counsel is to let the heart tender-up, to learn to forgive.
Choosing to be angry, punishing another rather than forgiving, is that
which gives foothold to the devil. Paul is giving the mountain-climbing metaphor
to make it clear, that Satan has a long, nearly impossible job ahead of him
getting into your brain and taking over when you’re tenderhearted…a
forgiver. When you’re angry he has no
problem climbing all over you.
Without mincing words the apostle is making it clear, anger is a choice
which serves Satan, not Christ. It is
choosing self, rather than what Jesus said about denying self and taking-up the
cross.
If any of you wants to be my
follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow
me. Luke 9:23
There is not much wiggle-room in that. And it is a hard thing to break habits that
are long-entrenched. But the words of
Christ do not pull punches about giving-up that which gives foothold to the
devil’s ways. The question, for most of
us, is: I want to give up lying,
foul language, and all that other stuff, but I keep falling-back into it – I
don’t like being angry, but it happens all the time; am I doomed?
The short-answer is emphatically…NO…if you’re a follower of Jesus, you’re
already forgiven, you’re not doomed, you’re a human with a carnal nature that
can’t be behaviorally-perfect. The next
thought is: Well, how can I have
hope of ever being obedient and getting rid of this anger?
That is a longer discussion, but the short answer is that leaning on
Christ, staying close to the Master, sitting at His feet, and hanging with His
people are the ways that God changes us.
Some are blessed to give up anger issues, and the transformation is
almost immediate. Others must persevere,
because the behavior has so entwined in every aspect of thinking and doing, it
is a longer, more difficult uphill challenge.
This is why the apostle also advised believers to never stop
praying.[1]
For You Today
There are about 2,500 devotional
posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions
library. To dig deeper explore
some of these: So Much Anger - series PART ONE and PART
TWO and PART
THREE
Title Image: via Pixabay.com Images without citation are in public
domain.
Unless noted, Scripture quoted
from The New Living Translation©
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