Day Nine – In Your Anger Do Not Sin
Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV)
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath.
My dad had a temper and I, his daughter, inherited this trait. I hear my grandmother had one too. The broken vase in the hospital can bear witness to this trait. (see yesterday’s post!) I sometimes tell myself, “Isn’t it just the way I was created or wired to be? A temper as short as my height?”
I do hope you give me a pass for the broken vase in the hospital. After my experience I will never judge the emotions of one who is sick and tired, or one who has hair under their arms and on their legs from 3 weeks in the hospital. I remember the doctor who was caring for me telling me how much better I would feel when I was able to go home and wash my hair. Yes, he really said that. Now you know the cure for what ails you. Wash your hair. (And shave your legs and underarms!)
While it may be in me to erupt like a volcano, it doesn’t make it right. We can be angry over the situation we may be in but we can’t sin in that anger. I’ve always loved the story of Jesus chasing the money changers out of the temple. Can’t you just picture him swinging his whip and turning the tables over? I’d love to see the looks on the faces of the witnesses to that! Now that’s a story I can identify with! I can get angry like Jesus! But therein lies the rub – Jesus was angry but He did not sin. And I bet he didn’t go to bed angry that night! My anger had sin written all over it.
Throwing the vase was sin. I was angry and I let the sun go down on my wrath…several times. I was angry at God, at the hospital, the doctors, the nurses, and even the florist. I always admire people who even in their worst times, maintain their cool. I love to hear testimony of someone being in a devastating situation but whose thoughts are on spreading the Gospel. I love to hear the stories of people being determined to know what God is teaching them in their troubles. I have to admit, learning and spreading are sometimes the last thing on my mind. Anger? Now that I can do!
Here’s a disclaimer. Back in the days when I was going through the crisis I’ve written about, I was not at a place spiritually where I would think of spreading the Gospel. I was not in a place to ask God what He was teaching me. I was just angry and throwing vases. But I know better now. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that in Christ we are a new creation. The old is gone. That includes the old habits and behaviors of our before Christ selves. As believers, we can’t use the excuses of our old life, traits and personalities to sin. We overcome by surrendering to the Spirit’s work in us.
With the Holy Spirit in me, I am growing more and more like Jesus. More and more I think about how my sin offends God,affects others and can hinder my testimony. More and more, during trials, I seek to understand what God is doing in my life through the trial. With the Holy Spirit in me, I am convicted of my sin, confess it, and seek God’s forgiveness. And through faith in His Son Jesus, He is gracious to forgive.
© 2019 Robin R King
