I heard a verse mentioned in church, recently, while listening about what it means to love as Jesus loves me. It talked about anger and how to be still. Psalm 4:4 offers this admonition, “Be angry [or stand in awe] and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be silent [sorry for the things you say in your heart]. Selah” (The Amplified Bible).
My translation says it this way, “Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still” (NASB). That got my attention, because it showed when and how to handle such a powerful emotion, and it gave an alternative: Stillness.
Feel the anger, I hear it say, but don’t react right then. Later, when I’m alone with my thoughts and before my Lord, I can explore my feelings, and the issue they sprang from, then silently hear from the Spirit what I need to know. It’s saying to commune with God and let your heart express its side. That’s a safe place to examine our position.
After I quickly checked that verse during the sermon, I heard the speaker say, “Get small and let God be big.” Our natural inclination is to do the opposite.
Paul, when he’s talking about putting on the “new self” in Ephesians 4, tells us to allow our anger, but not let it get out of control and cause us to act before thinking and considering. We should be honest with ourselves (not always easy when we feel wronged) and then deal with our emotions and the issue soon.
This will also involve being honest with others. Otherwise, we only “give the devil an opportunity” to take advantage of us and the situation. Paul says, “to affirm together with the Lord…and be renewed in the spirit of your mind…for we are members of one another” (4:17, 23, 25b). Our anger is not meant to divide.
How are you doing when this powerful emotion rises up? Are you able to take a breath and acknowledge that the opportunity may not be present yet to resolve anger’s fire? Or, does passion have you in its grip so that words fly from you, along with fists, before you’ve had a chance to think clearly? There are choices with the Lord. He doesn’t expect anger to muzzle us, but it must not dictate our actions. Anger, along with our other emotions, has a work to do.
Anger’s Work
Lord of all my feelings, I give my thoughts to You. In the heat of the battle, within and without, come close. May we become small, so You can grow big. Let meekness and humility present themselves every time we want to strike out, fight back, and call names. Like the Advocate You are, let us see You there. Help us to resolve our issues with You first, and then with others. Retrain our minds and reframe our inclinations to find new ways of living in stillness. Do Your work by Your Spirit, because of Your Son. Amen.
Mystic, Sweet Communion
Jesus, Lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly.
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high!
Other refuge have I none; hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah, leave me not alone, still support and comfort me!
Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick and lead the blind.
Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound, make and keep me pure within.
-Charles Wesley
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