When We're Angryনমুনা

Step 5: God invites us to be agents of shalom.

Imagine what could have happened if Herodias had been transformed by the love of God instead of nursing a grudge. God would have forgiven her and helped her heal. Over time, God would have given her the power to forgive her grandfather, and she would have ended her family legacy of murder. Having made no room for the devil, Herodias could have become a shalom-bearer.

While anger can lead to sin, it can also lead to the work of shalom. God gives the good gift of anger so that we can live in the truth and have the energy to act as God’s agents of harmony and wholeness. This is what the apostle Paul wanted for the Ephesian church. He tells them in Ephesians 4 to exchange bitterness and rage for compassion and forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the engine of the gospel. Jesus forgives us of all our sin and calls us to forgive those who sin against us. When we feel angry, forgiving our offenders releases the healing and shalom of God in both our lives and the lives of others.

While we are all called to forgive, women often receive the message that we have to forgive quickly because feeling angry is not okay. But Paul’s writing makes clear that feeling anger is not the problem; harming others in the midst of our anger is the problem.

History is full of mothers who, filled with holy anger, allowed God to transform their stories of abuse and sorrow to become agents of shalom. Think of Sojourner Truth, who escaped slavery, became an abolitionist, and successfully sued a white man for her son’s liberty. Or think of Cary Lightner, whose 13-year-old was killed by a drunk driver and went on to found MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Even if we’re not called to start a social movement, God can use our anger to spur us towards shalom-bearing in important ways. We might:

• Find help for ourselves or our children if we’re being abused or mistreated.
• Speak up when we see injustice.
• Seek forgiveness and reconciliation when we sin in anger.

When we feel hurt, our anger can spur us towards the work of forgiveness and reconciliation. When we see injustice, our anger can spur us towards defending victims or rebuilding broken systems. God can use your anger for God’s shalom.

Prayer:

God, help me see all I have to offer, even when I feel inadequate. Help me be an agent of shalom in a world thirsty for harmony, wholeness, and peace.