Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.
Have you noticed how much anger there is out there in the world today? Are there things that are angering you? What do you do when you feel angry? Are you able to get past it? Or do you let yourself center on that anger? Everyone has things that happen that can anger them. It’s how we deal with the situation, and our anger, that makes a difference.
God doesn’t want us to live a life full of anger. Being angry all the time really does nothing good for our bodies. It can lead to us not feeling well or it could even lead to something far worse. When we let our anger overtake us, we stop taking the time to think through situations. We see only our side and our bodies tense up. Sometimes, the anger builds if we don’t work on controlling it. This could lead to something happening that we don’t want. Saying the wrong thing, perhaps something we don’t really mean, or even to a violent outburst. Letting our anger get the best of us never leads to a good outcome.
God directs us to be tenderhearted and forgiving. If we become angry about something, take a minute to breathe. Stop yourself and take a few minutes to think through the situation. If we take the time to put ourselves in the other persons shoes, we may learn something. We might still not agree with the person but we can at least see where they are coming from. We should choose not to be angry but to accept the other person has a right to their choice just like we do. We can choose not to be angry.
Instead of looking at the world and being mad about what is going on, look for a solution. If it is something you have no control over, choose the stance you will have then simply stand by your decision but not in an angry manner. Show love to those who anger you. We can agree to disagree. Realize that God created all of us to have free will, to make our own decisions for ourselves, right or wrong. There are those that try to force us to do what they want. Decide for yourself what you feel is right and accept that the others have the right to make their own decisions for themselves.
Ultimately, everything that is happening in the world is in the Bible. Read it. It’s all there. I choose to look at it as being a sign that Jesus is coming soon! I’m not going to be angry. I will simply, calmly, stand by God. That simple. That is the one decision that impacts our eternity. This life is temporary. I want my decisions here to be for God so that my eternity is secure. Standing by God and His word is the only thing that matters. It makes a difference for eternity.
So, what is more important? The things of this world that anger us or an eternity in God’s peace? The choice is ours.