Do you anger easily? Is your temperament to be angry when the smallest thing doesn’t go your way? Has your anger gone so far as to wish ill of another person? Have you attempted to inflict injury on someone else? Do you want to eliminate these thoughts?
Some of us are quicker to anger than others. But make no mistake about it, we all get angry. If we are not careful and disciplined, our anger can get the best of us. Our anger can cause us to act in inappropriate ways, perhaps even physical confrontation.
God initially gives the command that we are not to commit murder (Exodus 20:13). Some believe Jesus extended the command further when He said we are not to be angry. However, when we remember Jesus is God, we might need to reevaluate that line of thinking. We might consider that Jesus was merely clarifying the command.
Why should we not grow angry with our brothers and sisters in Christ? God is working in them in the same way he is working in us. Additionally, not one of us is perfect. We are called to show grace and mercy to one another. Rather than getting angry, we might first attempt to understand why someone did what they did that might cause us to be angry.
If our first reaction to someone doing something we do not like is to understand why, we would see a lot less anger in this world. If we were to seek to see the situation as the other person does, we might find they had a justifiable reason for what they did. Now, make no mistake about it, this will not always be the case. However, more times than not, people do not just do things out of the blue to upset us.
I pray we all seek to understand one another. I pray we recognize that God is at work in our brothers and sisters. I pray each one of us do our best to keep our anger in check, relying on God to help us. Seek understanding. Know that God is at work. Do not be angry. Show grace and mercy.
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister, will be subject to judgment.”
Marty Pressey 