The Reason For My Faith

 Letting Go Of Anger

(Chuck Ness)

“Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.”
(Psalm 4:4-5)

Many years ago when I was a young man, I remember being so angry that I slammed my fist onto the dash of my car. Immediately I felt a pain in my wrist, because when I struck the dash I inadvertently hit a small strip of chrome with my wrist bone. It hurt so bad that I could barely use my hand for a week. As I get older, I’m reminded of that foolish moment whenever it gets cold, or when I lift heavy objects, because arthritis has set in.

The second time God gave water to the people out of a rock, GOD told Moses to speak at the rock. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses was so mad at the people that he chastised them as he angrily struck the rock twice with his staff. This outburst of anger moved GOD keep Moses from entering the promised land, because he did not sanctify GOD before the people. It’s not that Moses died and went to hell. However, his anger caused him to miss out on the blessing GOD had in store for him in this world.

It’s been said that anger is an acid that can sometimes do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than the object which it is poured onto. I can easily testify to that, because my anger has done more harm to me than I ever would have realized. For the life of me I cannot remember what I was so angry at all those years ago. Yet, because I could not control my anger, I cannot easily lift a simple cup of coffee without feeling pain. Paul tells us in his letter to the Ephesians,

“BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN”: do not let the sun
go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
(Ephesians 4:26-27)

It’s human to have emotional moments, like sadness, grief, frustration, excitement, happiness, and even anger. However, we need to be forever mindful that we are children of GOD, and as such we should be continually walking with, and in, our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. By doing so, we will be conscious of controlling our emotions. This is why we should always end the day with prayer and supplications to GOD, because uncontrolled anger can only deprive us of the blessings GOD has in store for us.