Ephesians 4:26 tells us in no uncertain terms that while it is natural to feel angry, God expects us to be strong enough to control our anger and not allow it to cause us to fall into sin or succumb to sinful temptation. Being human is a test in itself. No matter what, the trials we face are always going to seem to amplify our weaknesses – or at very least, expose them. The reason for this is that we are attacked at our weakest points. The devil would be wasting his time trying to make you struggle in areas you are strongest! In keeping with his own cowardice, he manipulates the heart of man by causing us to struggle in our weakest points – where we are most vulnerable and most likely to break! The positive thing about trials, however, is that when we handle them correctly, they have the potential to cause our weaknesses to actually strengthen us! By resisting the temptation trials present in our lives, we become stronger!
Temptation is anything that forces us to decide which is right or wrong when considering two or more reactions to any situation. When someone provokes us to anger, that temptation can be emphasized by pride, insecurity, resentment, or even pain – once all of those emotions begin to flow through our hearts, something toxic happens in our spirits and the result can be quite damning! It is essential that we often remind ourselves that the battle is not between ourselves and our offenders (those who come against us); nor is it between ourselves and our offenses (the wrongs in our lives). The battle is between the spirit that dwells within us which desires only to do right, and the flesh that is influenced by the world around us and can be corrupted into confusing the divide which separates right from wrong to the point that we learn to justify wrongs by making exceptions to God’s rules. As fleshly creatures, it is much easier for us to acknowledge the role others play in our offenses than it is for us to accept responsibility. We blame provocation for our responses, justifying our wrongs by blaming them on the wrongs others have done against us! This process goes completely against the concept of forgiveness and in the end we only hurt ourselves…
While our reactions – and our emotions – may be understandable or even reasonable in the circumstances we face, that doesn’t make them acceptable to God, nor does it make them justifiable. We undermine our own righteousness when we allow our responses to be dictated by the motives or intentions of others. These habits also prove that others are in control of our behavior. We relinquish the power we have over our OWN lives when we become too weak to resist the temptation to sin in our anger. Are there people in your life who seem to routinely bring out the worst in you? Why do you believe that is? You will do yourself a great service by using those experiences to practice Godly responses and consequently develop patience, self control, and strength in the process!
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