Friday, December 2, 2022

December 2, 2022

James 1: 19, 20 (NIV)
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
Every form of ungodly anger displeases the Lord.*
I am not prone to fits of rage but I can remember a time when I was so angry that I literally saw red. Funny thing is, I don’t remember what caused such strong emotion. You would think that something that provoking would leave a permanent impression on my memory. Surely I couldn’t forget such an important episode in my life . . . and yet I did. I believe I am living proof that James is right: man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Man’s anger is self-centered. Even when we are indignant on someone else’s behalf, it is because we can relate to their situation in some way. But what about God’s anger? What makes him see red? The Old Testament is teeming with examples of God’s wrath. The Children of Israel were especially good at stirring up his anger while they were wandering in the wilderness. (Isn’t that why they were wandering in the first place?) We find that God is angered by disobedience and rebellion; oppression of the “least of these;” whining and ingratitude; and following other gods – to name a few!

Do we have the right to appropriate God’s anger for our own? Should we be angry on his behalf for the wickedness of mankind? I would have to say: yes and no. Yes, we should hate sin and sin should make us angry. But I don’t see Jesus modeling any behavior that indicates that we have a right to act in anger. We point to his “cleansing of the temple” as a case of righteous indignation but none of the gospel writers even hints that Jesus was angry. He spoke and acted with authority, not in anger. That’s not to say he felt no emotion about what was going on in his house but this was not a “fit of temper.”*

And so we come to James’ original directive: quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Take the time to assess your right to be angry. Is your anger self-centered or God-centered? Who has authorized your angry actions? “His wrath is always just and holy.”* Is yours?
When we are told to put off anger, this assures us it is possible.*

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