Managing Your AngerНамуна

It Matters to God

If I were to ask you what the Christian life is all about, what would you say?

You might say something like loving God, following Jesus, or living by the Spirit.

You probably wouldn’t respond with “Don’t lose your temper.”

As valid as that answer may be, the Christian life isn’t primarily about avoiding ungodly behavior. Rather, it’s about turning to Jesus and following Him in everything.

So, where does this week’s devotional theme of managing our anger fit into all this? If trying not to be angry is peripheral to the Christian faith, as I suggest, why bother exploring this topic?

Well, we’re exploring this topic because God seems interested in it.

There are well-known Bible verses: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires” (James 1:19-20 NIV). God specifically mentions how anger sabotages the righteous Christian life.

If you’re given to yelling at your girlfriend or wife, shouting at your kids, or raging against drivers literally left and right, can you see yourself as a righteous man of God?

Although James 1:19-20 is such an apt passage for warning us about the dangers of anger, I also listed a lesser-known verse, 1 Timothy 2:8, in order to be novel and fresh.

In this verse, the apostle Paul specifically exhorted the men of the church “to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.” It’s interesting that Paul could have simply exhorted the men to pray and lift up holy hands and stopped there. That alone would’ve made the point that the men should pray to God, worshipping Him in a holy posture.

However, the verse goes on to mention that this prayer and worship should happen without “anger or disputing.”

It’s as if this were a potential problem for the men amongst themselves.

Men, let’s focus on worshipping God, loving Jesus, and living a righteous life. But as men, let us simultaneously be on guard against the unique threat we face in our anger.

Prayer: Lord, I worship You. Show me where my anger may be sabotaging my relationship with You. Help me be slow to anger so I might live a righteous life as You desire. Help me be free from anger and disputes so I might worship You with an upright conscience. Amen.

Reflection: When you’re in an angry conflict with someone or furious about some situation, are you able to worship God freely? If not, why do you think this is?