Led By Anger?

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Grow angry slowly - there’s plenty of time.” That’s good advice. Often we can ‘fly off the handle’ so quickly that we say and do things without thinking. This can cause a lot of stress in our homes, at the workplace, among our friends, in our marriages, and even in our churches. Sometimes we feel that we have the right to be angry and to express that anger. But most of the time when we are expressing our anger, we do so in sinful and inappropriate ways. When Paul wrote his second letter to the church at Corinth, he expressed, “I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.” (2 Corinthians 12:20) Twice in the book of Ephesians, Paul gave us some sound wisdom about the subject of anger: Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” In Ephesians 4:30-32 he wrote, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” James wrote, "...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (James 1:19-20) There is a French proverb that says, “Anger is a bad counselor.” That is a good way to express that we are not to be people led by anger, but by God’s Spirit.