by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil."

Ephesians 4:26-27

Anger will hurt you more than it hurts the one who wronged you.

An author for Reader's Digest writes how he studied the Amish people in preparation for an article on them. In his observation at the school yard, he noted that the children never screamed or yelled. This amazed him. He spoke to the schoolmaster. He remarked how he had not once heard an Amish child yell, and asked why the schoolmaster thought that was so. The schoolmaster replied, "Well, have you ever heard an Amish adult yell?"

Anger can often get the best of us at times. Things don't go our way, we react harshly, and tempers rage. Sometimes we justify our anger too. We feel hurt, someone didn't treat us right, we want revenge, and we let that anger soak into our heart and consume us. While it may feel right to hold onto anger, God commands us, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil."

Oftentimes, Ephesians 4:26 is applied to married couples in resolving disputes before the day is done, but God makes no specifications for who should let go of anger. This verse applies to everyone. God simply tells us to resolve our anger and not carry it over into the next day.

Someone once said, "Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it." Everything in you wants to throw the coal (make right the wrong) but the hot coal of anger is going to hurt you more than it hurts the one who wronged you.

God commands, "Be ye angry, and sin not." How can one be angry and sin not? Commentator Matthew Henry explains it this way: "If we would be angry and not sin (says one), we must be angry at nothing but sin; and we should be more jealous for the glory of God than for any interest or reputation of our own."

We can be angry that the devil causes Christians to fall. We can be angry that our world abounds in sin. We can be angry that the name of Christ is mocked and scorned by many people. All these instances are righteous anger for they are directed at sin and the devil. But being angry at people or because of something done to you personally is sinful.

So how can we combat those feelings of anger and revenge when someone wrongs us? Second Corinthians 2:10-11 gives us the key-forgiveness. "To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."

Forgiveness forces the forgiver to humble their pride, acknowledge the wrong that was done, and offer forgiveness and reconciliation. It goes against the feelings of revenge our human nature instills in us. Someone wronged us, so we want to wrong them; but forgiveness shows God's mercy and grace.

Do you have a problem controlling your anger? Often, anger is a result of pride-thinking so highly of yourself that when wronged, you're compelled to seek revenge. Ask God to reveal any prideful feelings. Also, seek His help in offering forgiveness to those who wrong you. Giving forgiveness rather than getting revenge is only done through God's help.

Daily Bible Reading
Psalms 18–19 | Acts 20:17–38