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Anger can destroy a person’s spiritual life. The consequences of unrepented anger are huge.
“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.”
“An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man commits many sins.”
“My dear brothers and sisters take note of this:
Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to become angry,
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.”
All of us have experienced anger. We’ve been angry and have experienced the anger of others, either toward us or toward others. We can become angry because we’ve been hurt, disappointed, corrected, hated, cursed, or mistreated.
When we don’t love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us, we sin. When we’re quick to get angry, we sin.
When we sin, we give the devil a foothold. His flaming darts come at us as he tempts us to doubt God’s love for us. He may tell us we deserve to be mad and we need to get even.
When we act on any of these temptations, we sin, and have given the devil a foothold to destroy our lives. I say it again, it is a big deal when we give the devil an opening in our life. A foothold in Biblical culture was a place in the wall around the city where the enemy could put his foot to crawl over the wall and gain access into the city, so that he might steal, kill and destroy.
We can be angry at many things, but for now, let’s examine our anger toward God. If we are angry at God this is very serious, for we have truly given the enemy a large advantage in our life! We’ve not just given him a foothold, it is more like opening the gates and inviting him in. In our sin of anger we have separated ourselves from God’s fellowship. Satan, as the accuser of the brethren, will fill our heads with as many lies as possible. Those lies can seem like they are on a huge speaker blowing his lying stuff into our heads 24/7. And we can believe those lies and act on them as though they were truth.
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When we don’t repent of anger, then we harbor bitterness and unforgiveness. Both of these destroy lives. The sin of anger hardens our hearts, and then we can’t hear God. Let’s soften our hearts and hear God’s words to His children. Precious people, God loves you. He loves you more than you can imagine. Our anger towards God is misdirected. God is not the problem. He is the answer, always. The sin of anger hardens our hearts, and then we can’t hear God. Let’s soften our hearts and hear God’s words to His children.
The 40th chapter of Isaiah is special. God wants us to take comfort in who He is and what He promises to do for us.
“Comfort, comfort my people, speak tenderly to her and tell her that her sins have been paid for.”
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God is everlasting; He is eternal. Be comforted that none can compare to God. Yes, none can compare to the love, grace, mercy and power of God. God has poured out His love on you. He promises to care for you. The last four verses are written out for you. They’re incredible promises to all of us.
Life is hard. God tells us over and over that it’s hard and often seems unfair. But, the good news is, His power is working in our lives. But when we hold on to anger, we’ll grow tired and weary, and won’t receive God’s comfort. He understands, and is able and willing to help us. Eagles soar above the storms of life—the stronger the storm, the higher they fly. When we’re living by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we, too, can soar.
Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain,
O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:27-31
Lord, I have been angry at You. I have been angry because my life isn’t going the way I planned. I have desires to do things you call sin! I have blamed these desires on you! I have made excuses and rationalized these desires and have acted them out. Now, I feel dirty. I feel no good. I turned my back on you, cussed you, and cussed the way you made me. I rejected you, because I thought you had rejected me.
In the mighty and awesome name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen.
