Second, Paul tells us “do not let
the sun go down on your anger.” What in
the world does this mean? Well, I’ll
tell you. We have already discussed how
anger (sometimes) is a good thing and we are commanded to have it at
times. However, this righteous anger can
turn sour. If left unattended it can
cause us some major problems. It can
easily turn to bitterness, resentment, and an “I’m better than you” attitude. Even the best motivated anger can spoil and
we need to put it aside at the end of the day.
Why must we do this? Paul tells
us in verse 27. Paul says tells us to do
this so that we “give no opportunity to the devil.” If we leave our righteous anger unattended
and if we do not lay it down at the end of the day, the devil will use it. He will use what was once good and godly for
his “devil-like” purposes.
There is
another reason we must “put our anger to bed” at the end of the day. Anger has the ability to come upon you in a
moment and overtake you. Because of this
it has a nature to grow and fester and turn you into a big, huge, angry
monster. Anger should be dealt with
immediately. We need to confess it. We need to leave it. We need to give it to God for cleansing
before we lay down at the end of the day.
What does all this mean? Let’s review.
First, there are certain circumstances where it is not only okay for us
to be angry, but we are commanded to be angry.
What does this look like? This
type of anger might display itself when students are bullied at your school,
when a child is physically abused by a parent or another adult, or after
reading stories or watching videos of children dying of hunger. It is important to note, these types of
situations are the only time the anger is not only permitted, but it is
commanded.
Second, if your anger is only
“serving” you, it is sinful anger. If
the only time you are angry is when something bad happens to you, we must give
the anger to God to be dealt with. We
must not act on it. This type of anger
is self-destructive, self-serving, and extremely dangerous if left
unattended. We must not “let the sun go
down” on this type of anger. Why? It gives the devil an opportunity to use it for
his good.
Here are some practical steps you
can take to help deal with the anger in your life. These steps are nothing out of the ordinary,
but they are essential. First of all,
talk to God about it. We must pray. Tell Him why you are angry. Tell Him about the injustices going on around
the world and ask Him for ways that you could be involved in dealing with these
issues. Ask Him to help you lay your
anger down at the end of the day. Ask
Him to help you keep the devil from using your good anger for his good.
Second, talk to someone that you trust about
your anger. Find a godly friend, a youth
pastor, a pastor, or a parent who can help you with your anger. Tell him/her about what is going on in your
life that is making you angry and ask them for advice on how to deal with
it.
Finally, in those times when you are
not handling your anger well, place your attention on others and serve them
instead of using your anger to get back at those individuals who you are angry
at. These practical steps will help you
(and me) not turn into the Incredible
Hulk or a fire-breathing dragon.
