Hello ladies! I have thoroughly enjoyed this devotional thus far and I pray you have been growing as well. Today we will be reading out of Matthew 5:21-24 & James 1:19-20. “Gradually, anger will start to lose its grip on us as we delight in His grace and walk by the Spirit.”
Anger is a challenging emotion, and it often tempts us to stray from Christ-like living. Yet, God offers us tools and guidance to replace sinful anger with righteousness. Scripture provides insights into understanding the dangers of anger and embracing the transformative power of Christ in our hearts. Sinful anger can fracture relationships and distance us from God. Matthew 5:21-24 reminds us of the seriousness of harboring anger toward others: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:21-24, ESV). Similarly, Mark 3:5 represents Jesus experiencing anger, but His response shows that righteous anger comes from compassion and a desire for healing: “And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” (Mark 3:5, ESV) Here, we see that Christ’s anger was motivated by love and aimed at bringing restoration, not destruction. This is a powerful example of how we can channel our emotions to align with God’s purpose.
James 1:19-20 offers a guiding principle for managing anger: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (ESV). The key is self-control, humility, and seeking Christ’s example. In addition to this, 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us of the incredible gift of Christ’s righteousness: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (ESV). Through Christ, we are empowered to turn away from sinful anger and embrace a heart of forgiveness, patience, and love. Some helpful ways we can remember to shift sinful anger with Christ’s righteousness:
Remember Christ’s Example: Meditate on His grace and sacrifice, which enable us to live in His righteousness.
Pause and Pray: Bring your emotions before God and ask Him to guide your response.
Examine Your Heart: Reflect on whether your anger aligns with God’s will or stems from selfishness or resentment.
Seek Forgiveness and Reconciliation: Take action to restore broken relationships, as Jesus instructs in Matthew 5:23-24.
Replacing sinful anger with Christ’s righteousness is a journey of growth and surrender. As we walk in His grace, our hearts are transformed to reflect His love and compassion. Let us be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, mirroring His patience and mercy in all we do. When I realized that the enemy used my deepest fears against me, when I learned that he took a knife and went low, I was angry! I thought, “How dare you?! Now, this definitely means war!” This is righteous anger. This is anger towards the one who seeks to destroy me, and I will fight in Jesus’ name against his schemes. I pray my example gave you clarity on the difference between sinful anger and righteous anger (If you were struggling in definition). I pray these scriptures inspire you to live as a vessel of His peace, forgiveness, and righteousness.
Let’s discuss what we just learned. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below, we can discuss them together!
- How do you struggle with anger?
- What is often at the root of your anger?
- Write down some thoughts regarding what it could look like for you to turn to the Lord and rely on the Scripture whenever you feel angry.
“God helps us control our anger as He shapes us more into the image of His Son.”
Today is the Sabbath so we have two verses and two prayer prompts. Today’s verse for Lent prayer is 1 Peter 1:18-19 and the prayer prompt is, “Pray that you will live daily in the light of the redemption that is yours in Christ.” Sabbath verse is Psalm 51:12 and the prayer prompt is, “Pray that Gow would restore and renew your joy in the salvation He offers through Christ. Pray that He would create in you a willing spirit as you live for Him.”
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back. On Monday, we will discuss Being Kind instead of Judgement. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father and y’all have a wonderful night.
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