Do Not Let The Sun Go Down
On Your Anger
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors,
for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun
go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up
stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as
to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your
mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your
words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away
from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together
with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.
When we are mistreated or
misunderstood, how do we respond? With loving words,
patience, and kindness? Or are we inclined to retaliate in anger? In
Ephesians we can see the contrast between what a person was before being saved
and after being saved. When we live under the control of the Holy Spirit, we
will show it by the way we react to the jolting trials and temptations of life.
How we respond to trying, embarrassing situations that are suddenly thrust upon
us is a good test of how much we have grown in grace.
It is possible to suppress frustration
and anger, and to appear undisturbed to people around us. But if our heart is
full of the Savior’s love, we will respond to the problems of an unexpected
trial with genuine patience and kindness. Like a full glass of water, what is
inside us will spill over on the outside.
When trouble
grows,
your character shows.
Our Daily
Bread –