Do Not Stay Angry

Saturday, ‎September 30, ‎2023

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Philippians 1:9-10

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,

Memory verse: Philippians 4:8 ►Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Today's reading: ISAIAH 9-10 EPHESIANS 3

Do Not Stay Angry

We all have anger and some more, some less, yet, we all know anger. When you hear something said about a good person that you judge in truth to be false, it upsets you emotionally. This is anger. What happens next is choice. We choose to either grind that anger until it yields more anger and we say or do something harsh, or we choose to step back and take the thought captive and relax.

The Bible says, "In your anger, do not sin".(Ephesians 4:26)

The Bible does not tell us to not get angry. God knows anger against sin. We see it all through the Old Testament. We see it in Christ Jesus as He drove the money changers from the temple.(John2, Matthew 21)

Again, our Comforter will comfort-if we let Him. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Love covers it all but there is so much more-patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, self-control. These come from God's own character in whose image we are made.(Genesis 1:26-27)

You hear something that you 'know' is false? How do you know something said on the national stage is true or false? All we know is what we hear or read. Unless we were there, we do not know the truth. Back off a minute. Let it go.

The Bible says, "29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear", Ephesians 4.

Give grace to those who hear? God's grace from God's heart-not from an angry human mind-God's grace from the indwelling Holy Spirit-this is to be our temperament. God's nature is our nature if we choose. If we choose anything else, we give the 'devil an opportunity', Ephesians 4:27.

Lies, hurt, and anger-these are all about giving the enemy an opportunity to get us to do something that might have a lasting negative effect on our own influence for God's kingdom.

"But only such a word as is good for edification"-that means to lift up or make better. The last verse of Ephesians 4 is a good memory verse, "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you."

Meet anger with a plan devised in the grace and love of God and work the plan.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Forgive me for choosing not to think before I allow my anger to lead me to sin. I want to take those thoughts captive and back up and calm down in Your grace. Let me speak only in Your gentle spirit.

Great God of peace and grace!

In the name of Christ,

Amen