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Anger
July 18, 2024
Hey Clawson Family
Song:
Scripture
Matthew 5: 21-25
21 “You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ 22 But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
23 “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24 leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
25 “When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 And if that happens, you surely won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny.
Devotional:
Have you ever struggled with anger? Most people do, and God knows it. That’s why he warns about it throughout the Bible, and Jesus warns about it in these verses.
Not all anger is bad. God can have what some people call “righteous anger,” especially when his most prized creation, people, hurt other people. Jesus once displayed righteous anger when he cleared greedy salespeople from the temple (John 2:13-16). But unlike God and Jesus, our anger is rarely righteous and pure.
People often express anger through judgmental name-calling. Calling someone an idiot or a fool (or worse) has some heavy consequences. It grieves and angers God. The words themselves aren’t the main problem. But they're evidence of deeper issues that are often grounded in anger. When we speak about someone like this, with anger and hatred in our hearts, Jesus says it's as bad as if we'd committed murder.
So what are we supposed to do when we get angry?
First, don’t let anger come out in thoughtless words. As the saying goes, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all – good advice for sure.
Next, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-26, go immediately to the person you are angry with and attempt to “be reconciled” or “make peace” with him or her.
Jesus also said in Matthew 7:1-5 to look at your own faults before you attack someone else’s.
When you are angry, pray to God to help you with your thoughts, words, and body language (rolling your eyes, turning away, and more).
When we learn to notice and confront our anger in its early stages, we will avoid making things worse in our relationships with others and with God.
Journal:
Think of a time when someone was really angry with you. What happened? How did you feel and respond? Why do you think Jesus instructs people to deal with their anger quickly?
Training:
How might God use your last (specific) “angry moment” as an opportunity to grow in your relationship with him?
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