Taming Anger

Author: Pastor Thomas G. Wilson
April 10, 2020

Ephesians 4:25-27 MSG [25] What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. [26-27] Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry-but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.

 

Ephesians 4:25-27 TPT [25] So discard every form of dishonesty and lying so that you will be known as one who always speaks the truth, for we all belong to one another. [26] But don't let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don't let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day. [27] Don't give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!

 

Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences from time to time. People can become angry for many reasons, and everyone experiences anger differently. Events or circumstances that cause an angry outburst in one person may not affect another person at all.

 

Someone might experience anger if they feel:

· Attacked or threatened

· Deceived

· Frustrated or powerless

· Invalidated or unfairly treated

· Disrespected

· Feeling violated

· Unrealistic expectations

· Ignorance (on either side)

 

The emotion of anger isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, high levels of unresolved anger may have a negative impact on health such as inflammation, which can lead to other chronic diseases. Anger can also wreck families, harm children, tear apart churches and divide the body of Christ.

 

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4 exhorts believers to not be led, controlled or manipulated by neither your emotions nor the devil!

 

Four “Don'ts of Anger”:

 

1) Don’t deny your anger. This is not to say you are right but rather to bring your anger to the light. This is always the first step in recovery/deliverance from bondage, acknowledging that something is desperately wrong and WE need to fix this.

2) Don’t let the sun go down before resolving anger. The devil loves to have TIME to throw every slanderous, deceitful accusation he can at you. Overnight, anger ages and can turn into bitterness.

3) Don’t use angry words carelessly or unrighteously. Your words should not be used to injure (revenge), defame or damage the reputation of the one you are angry with. It grieves Holy Spirit when we don’t treat all people with respect and dignity.

4) Don’t let the anger of the past lessen your love. Don’t allow a relationship to deteriorate to the point of constant negativity, biting sarcasm, revenge, or withdrawing/detaching from the relationship.

 

For further reading: Col.3:8; Prov.16:32; Prov.20:3

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