Session 17

You can be angry and not sin

From Colossians: A 28-Day Devotional

When’s the last time you were angry? Not "I’m frustrated," but "I want to break things, I’m so angry."

What got you to that place? How in control were you over your response? If you could do it over again, what would you change?

Anger is the alert that goes off when something is wrong, and our desire for justice wants to make it right. At times, we will get justifiably angry, but our anger does not get to control us.

In this new life in Christ, His Spirit leads us, not our emotions. So the old days of giving in to anger — of yelling, name-calling, holding grudges, cussing, and cursing people behind their backs — those days are over (Colossians 3:7-8).

Before we knew God, we didn’t have a better way to deal with anger than to let it run free and suffer the consequences. But now that we know God, we have access to a perfect judge who wants to hear our case.

"Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord" (Romans 12:19). Anger leads to sin when we give in to the emotion instead of leaning into the Lord.

We don’t have to stuff how we feel when we’re wronged or see injustice in the world. Instead, we ask God what He would have us respond. That’s how we rid ourselves of anger. We take our frustration to God before it turns to bitterness or a blind rage.

Reflect:

• When angry, what is your typical response? What is one way you can honor God in your anger?
• If you have dishonored God in your anger, what is the next step for you to make it right?