Daily Devotions
Ephesians
" 'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath."
Text: Ephesians 4:26
ANOTHER SPECIFIC PROBLEM- ANGER
Paul raised up another issue- that of “anger”. Some ignore this problem. Others dismiss it. If the apostle Paul raised this up as a problem, it would seem wise for us to give time to think through this subject carefully.
1. Be angry
Paul allowed for “anger”. He did not say that anger is totally disallowed. Anger is an emotion that must be understood most carefully. It can be a good servant. But it is a terrible master.
a) Good anger
In the Gospel of Mark, we read a text that described Jesus as being angry.
And when He had looked around at them with anger,
being grieved by the hardness of their hearts…
MARK 3:5
The anger of Jesus was laced with “grief”. The hardness of heart was what caused the anger of Jesus to well up!
b) Bad anger
This type of anger is described by the Lord Jesus.
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother
without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment
MATTHEW 5:22
The key phrase to note is “without a cause”. This kind of anger is described in modern terms as:-
i) Unreasonable anger
ii) Unbridled anger
There is grave danger in unmanaged anger. The Scriptures teach most specifically concerning this danger of unbridled anger. (They are sometimes described and discussed as “road rage” or “sky rage”.)
2. Do not sin
It is possible to be angry and “not sin”. The individual must search his own heart and determine whether his anger is sinful or not.
3. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath
This is a truly wise word of advice. It is not advisable to let anger smoulder. It will only become a worse problem. Whatever problem that causes anger to arise should be dealt with…in the same day. There is grave danger when anger is allowed to simmer overnight. It could well lead to sin.