Love is slow to
anger
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| Be Slow to Anger | Photo Credits |
It’s easy to love strangers. But to love those who are
around you, especially those who live with you, is quite a challenge. God tells
us that love is not just a feeling; it is a commitment towards imperfect
people. And anger is a great hindrance in practicing love.
Anger is one of the “respectable” sins that we tolerate. We
condemn immorality and murder, but we think anger is okay. If we think that
shouting at team members will inspire work productivity or that screaming at
our kids will make them respect us, we are deluded. James 1:20 says, “… anger doesn’t achieve the righteousness
of God.”
Human anger is commonly rooted in our rights being violated,
in our goals being blocked. In short, it is rooted in self-centeredness and
pride. But anger is not always wrong. There is such a thing as righteous anger,
like God’s anger towards sin. As Arthur Pink puts it, “The wrath of God is the
indignation of Divine equity against evil. It is the holiness of God stirred
into activity against sin.”
While God may be angry towards sin, He loves sinners. Psalm
103:8 says, “The LORD is compassionate
and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” God is very
patient with us because He wants us to change. Nevertheless, His anger is real
and it will be manifested one day.
1 Corinthians 13:5 says this about love: “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it
is not easily angered. It keeps no records of wrongs.” Love is slow to
anger.
People deal with anger in different ways. Some are like a tsunami
or a volcanic eruption; others are less explosive. Whether it’s explosive or
silent, Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Be
angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not
give the devil an opportunity.”
The word “opportunity” there comes from the Greek word
“topos” meaning place. Paul is saying that we should not keep a place for anger
and bitterness in our hearts. Because when we do, we are giving Satan an entry
point to our lives, allowing ourselves to be under his influence.
The Bible commands us to control our anger (Ephesians
3:31-32), but how do we do this? First, we need to remain silent lest we blurt
out word that we would surely regret. Next, we need to properly process our
anger, just like how David processed his when Shimei cursed him, threw stones at him and his men, and falsely
accused him of killing King Saul (2 Samuel 16).
To all this, the king’s response was: “Perhaps the LORD will look on my affliction and return good to me
instead of cursing this day.” (2 Samuel 16:12).
The truth is, we CAN be slow to anger. The key to this is
surrender and the greatest motivation is your love for the Lord. If you love
God, you will obey Him and trust Him completely. We ought to surrender our
rights and situations to God and let Him take over.
Some of you are sick and tired of what’s going on in your
lives. Don’t take things into your own hands. Leave the judgement to God.
As for you, be slow to anger and let David’s assurance in
God’s character be yours as well: “I
would have despaired… unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of
the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your
heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” (Psalm 27:13-14).
