The news of the last few weeks has reported on war, terrorist
acts, multiple shootings, stabbings, road rage incidents and,
on Saturday morning, March 23, I was called for a domestic dispute
which involved a 13- year-old threatening his fathers fiancée
with a fire poker. I reflect on my thoughts and feelings.
When Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus, he let them know that much is expected of people who are called to a new life. Followers of the Lord are God's dear children and they must do as God does. Paul is teaching husbands, wives, children, parents and slaves how to live as Christians:
"As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. Their minds are in the dark and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, and they are so greedy that they do all lands of indecent things. . . . Don 't get so angry that you sin, Don 't go to bed angry and don 't give the devil a chance."
(Ephesians 4:17)
If you read the Saturday, March 16, message in The Upper Room
devotional booklet, you may connect the following to it. When
God created us, everything had a purpose. God not only gave us
remarkable working bodies and minds; God gave us emotions too.
We are created to feel and use our emotions, including our anger.
However, our understanding of anger may be distorted. We may think
of anger as raging, yelling or throwing objects. Anger is an emotion
like all the others; but what we do with our anger can be a problem.
It seems obvious that do not sin would include not hurting someone,
not raging. But this year I heard this verse
in an entirely new way. In saying, "Be angry, but do not
sin," acknowledges anger as a God-given emotion. All of us
feel anger at times and the anger has to come out in some way.
Sayings like, "I am so mad I could spit" or, I'll kill
him if I get my hands on him.'" are only sayings. But look
at the violence in the world today, in our communities and on
our streets. How did the school-age children get the idea to take
guns and knives to school to settle arguments?