August 2013 Doorpost: Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27

It is not always sin to be angry; in fact there are times when something is wrong if we aren’t angry. Anger is a God-given emotion that gives us extra energy. If we direct this energy righteously, it can be used for important purposes like correcting problems, working against wrong, or repairing relationships.

In Mark 11:11-19, Jesus came into the Temple in Jerusalem late in the day, looked around, and then went out to Bethany. On the following day He went back and directed His energy to stop those who were defiling the Temple.

James 1:19-20 instructs us to “be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” It does not say to never be angry, but warns that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.” We need to be careful that our anger is not the anger of man, but is expressed with righteousness.

Unfortunately, our natural tendency is to react in anger when we shouldn’t, and to be apathetic or fearfully passive when we really should be angry. There are times to be angry and to use that anger for righteousness.