BEWARE THE ANGER

Make no friendship with an angry

man, and with a furious man do

not go lest you learn his ways and set

a snare for your soul.

Proverbs 22: 24,25

Not sure if anyone is paying attention, but we are living in the midst of a culture made up of alot of very angry people.  We see them in politics, varied demonstrations, but see them even in our own lives.  It could be that others might be seeing this issue in us as well.

We are given a real caution in the above verses.  First we are given a NO when it comes to a friendship with someone who seems to be angry alot of the time.  The why follows the what and who...anger is catching, contageous even though we might not think so.

Anger can  the produce most unfortunate of consequences.  I'm thinking of some friends who taught at a Christian college.  A student approached the couple with the grand announcement that she and another student from the college were engaged.  She was hoping for their congratulations.  However, the couple knew the young man very well and wasn't too terribly exited for the girl.  He was known for his hot temper and tendency to having an overall spirit of anger.  I asked this friend of mine what they said to her.  One of them simply took out a slip of paper and with pen wrote on that paper "Proverbs 22:24,25" and handed it to her.  Unfortunately in a few years, the young lady paid dearly for deciding to go ahead with the relationship.

There may be times to feel a certain anger but it can be done without sinning.  Scripture tells us that it is possible.  The above anger is one of temper, sometimes loss of emotional control and at times loss of physical control.  Jesus cleaned up the temple on occasion with a righteous anger while the rest of His life we see a Man, always in control of Himself in every situation, especially with all the confrontations with political and spiritual big-wigs.

May we, with Holy Spirit power, learn to keep in control of our thoughts and actions that will glorify our Father.  Second hand anger is always a threat, that is being angry because someone else is.  May our temperament reveal Jesus in our lives as much as possible.

Father, forgive me for the times I've been angry when it wasn't necessary.  There have been times I've been boiling inside but You know that as well as I do.  May I keep my focus on you with help from Your Holy Spirit to maintain a spiritual calm in my life that will honor You and serve others.  In Jesus' precious name...Amen