Hello, everyone. If you read this blog regularly, you will probably have noticed some recurring themes. One of these is anger, an important and unavoidable physical and emotional response to unkindness, threat, offence and hurt. It’s vital that Christians learn to handle their anger in healthy ways, neither suppressing it, nor using it to attack others. In this, we have no better example than Jesus…
Anger
* “In your anger do not sin’ (Ephesians 4:26; NIV).
* “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” (Matthew 17:17; NIV).
* “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33; NIV).
* Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves (Matthew 21:12; NIV).
Lord Jesus,
I’ve always been terrified of my anger.
Tell me – how did you manage yours?
Ah – sometimes you spoke sharply
To the disciples and the crowds,
With harsher admonition still
For scribes and pharisees.
Once, in the temple,
You acted out your righteous indignation.
As you overturned the tables
People must have been scandalised!
But you were never ashamed of your anger, Lord,
And you weren’t afraid of it, either.
You didn’t suppress it –
You faced it
And used it in healthy ways
To help your ministry.
Jesus,
May I learn from your example.
Help me to be angry
Without sinning –
Just like you!