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Daily Recharge
Mal Fletcher
A Positive Side To Anger?
25 April 2024
Ephesians 4:26-27 '"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry'
We all know how potentially destructive anger can be. It has led to violent altercations, homicides and even mass killings. In the hearts of people in positions of power, it has also given birth to wars. Is all anger to be avoided? Can anger have any positive side? Many people feel guilty when they experience anger toward someone who has hurt them. But our feelings are like the indicator lights on the dashboard of a car. If the temperature light comes on, we don't say there's something wrong with the bulb. The bulb is faithfully doing its job, showing us that something is wrong under the hood. When we are angry, our feelings are working as God designed them to function. They are telling us that there is something wrong under the surface. Angry feelings are not always sinful. There are times when Jesus himself became angry; especially when he saw people being cheated or misled by supposed representatives of God. It's not always anger in itself that's sinful. In fact, if you did not feel anger when you were hurt, something would be wrong somewhere. Anger can be a powerful motivator to action. It may be the very thing that causes us to become proactive rather than reactive, to start taking back control of our feelings and thoughts. However, while anger may sometimes act as a good servant, it must never be allowed to master us. We must never let it become the chief emotion of our hearts, the thing that determines our responses above all else.
Prayer: 'Lord, there are times when anger works for me, because it gets me moving in a positive direction, in dealing with some wrong situation. But I don't want it to master me. Please help me to keep a right perspective, especially when my emotions are running hot.'
© Mal Fletcher 2003-2004
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