Thought for the Day

Have you ever heard people telling about how something happened and it made them so mad they just wanted to spit? And then they say, I feel so guilty for getting angry. Why? Is it a sin?

Let's look. First, we know and agree that God cannot commit sin. It just can't happen. That's another lesson. Use a Bible computer program or a concordance and see how many references you find to God's anger or the anger of the Lord. The Old Testament is chock full of references to God getting angry. So, getting angry is obviously not sinful. When evil is being committed we should get angry. How can anyone resist evil if it doesn't make them angry first? Since we are made in the image of God, and have some of the same emotions He does (that's where we got them from), we are going to get angry on occasion.

What makes us angry, and what we do with that anger are another story.

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs 16:32

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

We don't want to be in the position where every little thing sets us off. It is better to be in control of our spirit and not quick to be angry. And once we get angry, we have to get over it in a reasonable amount of time. Don't let it rest in your heart, or you will be a fool!

In the New Testament, Paul said these things:

Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Ephesians 4:26.

Paul the Apostle said, "Be angry!" Just don't let it make you commit sin!

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: Ephesians 4:31

But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Colossians 3:8

When we get angry, we have to put it off, not carry it around with us for days and weeks, becoming hateful and bitter. We can't let that anger cause us to commit sins, either.

So, the next time you find yourself getting angry, be careful in how you react, and then turn it over to the Lord as soon as you can. But remember, God Almighty Himself gets angry, too.