Don't Be An Angry Bird (Part 2)

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One time, I was so angry. Yes, just like you, I also have to deal with anger. To cool myself down, I thought of Ephesians 4:26-27 over and over again in my mind. “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil  a foothold.” (NIV) Out of that episode, I came up with the acronym A-N-G-E-R to remind me of the lessons those verses are teaching us. You can say that this message is a fruit of anger.

It is possible to be angry and not sin. But we have to keep in mind that ANGER may not be sin but it can lead to sin. “Be angry and sin not” is a quote from Psalm 4. David cried out, “Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer. How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? ...In your anger do not sin” (vv. 1-2, 4a). Bob Deffinbaugh in his “Righteous Anger” wrote, “[David] is being wrongfully treated by sinful men. He should not allow his anger to turn sour, and become sin. He gives the judgment of his enemies over to God, and in so doing leaves his own heart and soul at peace. No sleepless nights for David. He will rest in peace, leaving the judgment of men to God, and setting his heart and mind to the worship of his God in righteousness.” So, to avoid sinning, we have to have the right anger for the right reasons.

If we sin in our anger, we open our lives to the enemy. That’s why we are commanded in verse 27: “do not give the devil a foothold.” Thus, NEVER give the devil a foothold.

One way of giving Satan an opportunity is lack of forgiveness. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 tells us, “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” So, if we fail to forgive, we have allowed ourselves to be hoodwinked by the devil.

Another way we give the devil a chance to outwit us is when we take matters in our own hands. Romans 12:19 says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

So, either we leave room for God or the devil.

(To be continued)

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