SCRIPTURE
Proverbs 29:22 (ESV)
22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.
OBSERVATION
Anger is a natural human emotion. Anger can be justified and even righteous.
But a man (or woman) of wrath is not necessarily someone who gets justifiably angry. They are someone who is marked by their anger. It defines them and identifies them.
This person is the rock in the calm pond of others’ lives. They stir up strife where there was once calm.
BUT… if we are that person who is “given to anger,” then there is another danger.
A person who is given to anger (or regularly gives themselves over to anger) causes much transgression. This person is not only sinful; they are the spark that ignites sin in the lives of others. And if we aren’t careful, any of us to become this person.
APPLICATION
Anger is not a sin, but it puts on a slippery slope toward sin.
In Ephesians 4:26–27, Paul wrote, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”
And in Psalm 4:4 we see the warning “Be angry, and do not sin.”
Anger can be justified, anger can even be righteous, but anger puts us on the cliff of sin. Tread carefully.
PRAYER
Lord,
Enable me to control my anger before my anger controls me. Guard my tongue in moments of high emotion. Help me to never distract from the Gospel.
Amen