Theme: Beyond: Next Level Living, Week One - Anger
Read: Isaiah 12:1; Psalm 30:5; Ephesians 4:31
Think: “Are you talking to me?” Many of us have heard this before, I think the line comes from a movie but it is also a call to check ourselves before we speak. Things come out of our mouth that once said are hard but not impossible to make better. I think about God saying this as we say mean things to those we are angry with. After all, we are talking to Him in an indirect way.
I like how Pastor Ben put it when he commented that we can honor God in our troubles or our angry moments. At first I wasn’t sure what he meant but as I thought about I realized that it is the forgiving part that honors God. When we are mad, we feel and are hurt, guilty, disappointed and helpless. So what we do about this is the key to handling that anger. We deal with it quickly, proactively and with humility.
My favorite one is being proactive, not waiting. At times I have had anger against someone and felt very righteous in feeling that way but really, is our anger EVER righteous? Look at Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. As a member of AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) for many years, I have learned and been taught how to properly deal with my angry thoughts. Under the influence, I did many things that hurt people and quite often it involved anger. Not only did I have to realize what I did, the next step was to make amends to the hurt person. This making amends (i.e.: change) involved saying to someone “I’m sorry that I __________, what can I do to make it right?” Often people would accept your apology but sometimes they would indicate to you that the hurt was very deep. At that point, you have done what is suggested and you move on forgiving yourself for that offense. Ben said it well, “God wants us to rise to the next level”. Yeah, that just makes so much sense!
The next question is Why Grace Instead of Anger? Of the five points listed as the answer to this question, my favorite and most simply put is Because I have received God’s grace. It’s that easy, really. Jesus went to die on the cross and endure the humility and deep pain of this experience because he loved us and desired for us mercy and grace. Man, that is powerful! Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13. We need to be able to give each other grace as God gave it to us. One of my defects as a parent is that I will often react with anger to my kid’s behavior. Ben told us at the start of his talk that kids tell us “I wish you wouldn’t yell so much.” POW, that one hurt. I see myself in that statement and I know that when I yell, I know I am not being a good parent. Look to God for the example of how to act; he was mad when his people let him down but he admonished us swiftly but in a way that was comforting and loving. I need to be more like Jesus in how I handle anger and things will certainly go better.
Do: Take your next right step in dealing with any anger that is lingering in you. Go to that someone who you have hurt and ask for forgiveness, a huge weight will be lifted from you. And from them! Just do it! Make your amends and begin to repair a relationship that has potential to bring back joy into your life and others as well.
Pray: God, I offer up myself to you and ask that you help me deal with any anger I have towards others and maybe even you. I want to be the child you created me to be and I need your help. Thank you for never abandoning me in times of trouble, I love you and want to live in a way that honors you. Amen.
The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.