quick thoughts on anger

"...the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

~James 1:20

I read this verse a few weeks ago and have meditated on it a bit since then. 

In the book of Ephesians, Paul advises us to "be angry, and yet do not sin" (4:26).  He knew that as humans, anger is an inevitable emotion for all of us in this fallen world.  But he also knew that without the love of God in our hearts, this anger can become a catalyst in the manifestation of any number of sins since without His help, we have no hope of controlling this powerful emotion on our own.

Being angry on occasion is normal, and sometimes even beneficial if we keep tabs on it and deal with it properly.  But we're not designed to harbor our anger continuously.  That's where the above verse in James comes in.  Even if we call on God's help in the midst of an episode of anger, and we are successful in avoiding any kind of sin during that time, I really think being angry for an extended period of time can prevent us from running after His righteousness and blessings.  Of course there are exceptions to this rule; sometimes righteous indignation combined with Providence can certainly further God's kingdom (such as Jesus turning over the money-changers' tables in the Temple).  But for the most part, we're better off if we deal with our anger quickly and concisely, without giving in to the temptation to sin and without letting our anger keep us from doing what God has called us to do.

I'm usually not one to act out on my anger; I tend to be more prone to stuffing my anger inside and letting it stew instead.  But I'm thinking that doing this is really just as bad as physically acting out my anger.  If I'm angry at someone, and do nothing to fix the situation, I'm usually rendered useless in regards to His kingdom.  In addition, that anger makes me vulnerable toward more attacks from the Enemy; just check out a later verse in that passage in James, where he says that allowing our anger to remain in us only gives the devil "an opportunity" (v. 27), or in other translations, "a foothold."  Anger will only beget more anger, and that anger will only beget sin, unless we call on God the minute that powerful emotion sets in and ask for His help in resolving it.  A life bent toward achieving His righteousness can't be spent wading in the mucky waters of anger and bitterness.

watered-down truth

"Your silver has become dross, your drink diluted with water." Isaiah 1:22

Last night my husband and I started reading Isaiah together. It's a book full of prophetic utterances that are still relevant today in these end times. I skimmed over the above verse without thinking too much about it until my husband highlighted it for me, explaining that the "drink diluted with water" represents the act of diluting the truth with those things that are not true.

You can think of countless examples of this almost immediately. We are told through the media and through (unfortunately) popular opinion that an unborn child is not really alive until it is born, therefore abortion is okay. The production and distribution of pornography is really just "freedom of speech" being carried out. True, there are thousands of people living in poverty in the U.S. alone, but don't worry, take care of yourself. Everyday we are bombarded with some version of the truth, but it is often airbrushed, covered up, masked, or diluted with lies from those with ulterior motives.

The Enemy doesn't want us to seek after the truth, because he knows that it weakens his grip on our hearts and minds. Jesus called Satan the "father of lies" in the book of John, saying that lying is his native language (8:44). I once heard a saying that Satan will often tell us things that are true, but he never tells us the actual truth. Yes, it's TRUE that living here on earth is a struggle, but the TRUTH is that this place is not our home. The Enemy knows that if we only focus on what is "true," we will never go any further than that to seek out the full "truth."

On the other hand, all God tells us is the truth, and that truth is found on every page of His Word. Just take a look at the Gospels and how Jesus spoke to His followers. Go to www.biblegateway.com and type in "Jesus truth" in the keyword search. See how many examples pop up where Jesus says, "I tell you the truth"? And remember John 14:6 where He says He is the way, the TRUTH, and the life? The truth is, God IS the truth. "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill" (Numbers 23:19)?

If we are to be imitators of God, we are to walk not just in His love but in His truth. In a world that constantly presents us with watered-down truth, let us be the ones who are willing to speak God's truth AS IS as His unashamed children.

"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. " Ephesians 4:14-15