"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone is to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires," James 1:19-20, NIV.
What are we quick to do? I’m quick to insist on my own way, or at least get frustrated and annoyed when it seems my own way is not going to happen. I don’t mean spoil me; I mean, “It was my turn to go at the stop sign.” “I’m standing here, you could have gone around.” “That actually WAS in my basket!” kind of thing.
When I look at James 1:19, I am usually focused on the “slow to speak” part. But God drew my eye toward the slow to be angry part. I hadn’t realized that my little annoyances were actually little tantrums. I was upset about not getting my own way or what was perceived to be my own way. God showed me that human anger (what I was displaying), was not righteous anger. It did not meet God’s criterium of what we have permission to be angry about.
God showed me that at stop signs I could practice not insisting on my own way. And in grocery stores, the aisle is to be shared, not monopolized.
If someone wants something so desperately from my cart, and they are willing to take it from me, let it go. Remember, vengeance is God's; He will sort it out.
I am left without excuses. I need to humble myself before our Father and repent.
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says,” James 1:21-22, NIV.
My anger against the wrong things is filthy before God. He does not want it or honor it.
So, what is right and just anger?
Getting angry at the things God gets mad about—kingdom things.
The Christian’s task is building up the kingdom of God: taking the gospel truth and presenting it to others so that they will know that they can be forgiven and set free. That’s what Jesus did for mankind, saving us all. The gospel should be looked upon with honor and respect.
We should get mad if someone is making fun of King Jesus. We should be frustrated when others use our LORD’S name in vain. Not just swearing, but actually telling others that God said something that He never said. This is using the LORD’S name in vain. We should get angry when others mock the kingdom of God!
But most of the time we sit on our hands and think, "That’s a secondary issue; I’ll let God sort it out."
God is actually the only one who can change someone’s heart attitude, but do these things even bother us?
If I made fun of your mom or dad, and gossip to others unfairly about their character, would that bother you? Would you want me to stop? Why?
Because shaming someone’s character is like murdering their soul! It’s highly offensive!
Yet, we hear people mock God or misquote Him often, and we ignore it. But, as you are ignoring it, does it bother you? Do you get angry at others shaming God or His ways?
We need to search ourselves and ask, "Am I getting angry at the wrong things?"
I am NOT saying yell at everyone who uses God's name in vain. I am asking if it bothers us that they did.
If He truly is our King of kings we should want to defend His honor. We honor God by obeying Him. We can do those things He has taught us in the past, like pray for those who persecute us, and bless those who curse us. It really matters to God that we do that. How do I know? He told us in Matthew 5:44.
We have the power of prayer on our side. Are we utilizing it? Are we putting into practice the things we know we can do?
We are to be slow to become angry. We are not to have that volcano-eruption kind of anger—the kind where we yell at someone because they were in our way; this does not help us practice self-control.
We are to have a slow burn in our heart when someone is hurting God, His kingdom, or His righteousness. That should bother us, because it bothers God.
Have we flipped our anger around? Angry at things we should control and ignoring the things that bother God?
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, 18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, 19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers,” Proverbs 6:16-19, Good News Bible.
Father,
We are a broken people. So upside down at times—please forgive us.
We need Your heart of flesh to replace our hearts of stone.
We need to care about the things You care about and do the things You have asked us to do.
Forgive us when we are embarrassed to stand up for You. Forgive us for getting angry at the wrong things.
Help us to be worthy “Children of the King of kings.” We fall short of true kingdom living all too often.
We truly do love You. Help it to be with all of our hearts, all of our minds and all of our souls—every bit of us.
Amen.
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