Anger On A Short Leash

Somehow, people think when you become a child of God you respond with a smile when someone "accidentally" cuts you off while driving. Laugh out loud. If you're anything like me behind the wheel, happiness is the furthest reaction away from my initial feeling. I'd love to get to the point to where I can crack a smile after being stuck behind someone's 93-year-old grandma for ten miles going 30 in a 45 mile per hour zone (where us heathens want to go at least 55.) Here is where we sink or swim. Looking someone in the eye while we show them only the longest finger on our hand is not the way to go. Rolling down your window to shout out expletives is also the wrong choice. Either or both of these scenarios happen at least once a day. These are just a couple examples of anger that could trigger a sinful reaction. When a husband finds out his wife charged the card on an expensive purchase he does not have the grounds to hit her. If someone wrongs you in any way it does not justify retaliation. Far too often we like to take God's job and give someone what we feel they deserve. All vengeance belongs to Him (Romans 12:19.) 

It is also more than just a physical act. Anger can be mental as well. The "snowball effect" is probably a familiar term used in describing the process of a growing temper and rage is usually the outcome. Satan loves to remind us of past offences. Sometimes things that are months, or maybe even years old. Sometimes things that you've even overcome and forgiven. Without giving the devil too much credit, understand that the carnal brain sometimes loves to satiate itself to those things. Why? Because it feels good to justify yourself. 

It's kind of hard, better yet, impossible to think this way with a mind that is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Think spiritually and your actions will follow. (Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:8)

Society, especially when dealing with children, frowns on the entire emotion of anger. Because it is an emotion, it is a natural human response. This isn't just a humanistic theory. God, the Creator of the universe and everything good and just, inspired Paul to write the scripture: 

"Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil." Ephesians 5:26-27 

The social consensus is "an eye for an eye" and "two wrongs make a right." That is social justice. Spiritual justice is turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39.) Spiritual justice is forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22.) 

At an early age children need to be taught that indulging in anger is not of God. Instead of hitting a person, hitting a pillow or punching bag could be the trade off. As we learn to practice self-control and patience and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit, we become less prone to allow Satan to trap us in that web. God allows and His children to be angry and He understands it. We were created with a variety of emotions. We were not made to sin. On the contrary, we were made to bring glory to our Creator. I wonder how often He gets angry at His knuckle-headed kids. No, we're not perfect. Yes, we fall short. We whine, we complain, we worry and worst of all, we break His commandments. If we all got what we truly deserved we would be in hell! Be thankful we have a Just, yet Forgiving and Merciful God. 

Breaking the Shackles of Sin

Romans 6:5-23

⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. ⁷ For he who has died has been freed from sin. ⁸ Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. ¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! ¹⁶ Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? ¹⁷ But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. ¹⁸ And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. ¹⁹ I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. ²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.