Paul: Past, Present, and Your Life’s PurposeSample

The Darkness of Our Anger…

Have you ever felt consumed by anger to the point where it's controlling your every thought and action? It's a feeling we've all experienced at some point, but it's important to remember that we have a choice. We can either live in the darkness of our anger or in the brightness of Christ.

Your anger is probably valid. I bet if we sat down and talked, you could convince me that you're angry for a valid reason. You were hurt or harmed, or a person or situation deprived you of something. Maybe you’re even mad at God. I want to encourage you to live in the brightness of Christ instead of the darkness of your anger. I know it can be hard to let it go and to say, “Lord, vengeance is Yours. You set things right, not me."

It’s not easy to let go of anger and bitterness, but it is crucial for our well-being and our relationship with God. Paul, the apostle, provides a powerful example of this. Paul moved from the darkness of his anger to the brightness of Christ. Tradition says he was knocked off his horse. God can bring us from a high position to a humble one very quickly. Charles Spurgeon, the preacher, said, “Paul was a great man. I have no doubt that on the way to Damascus he rode a very high horse. But a few seconds sufficed to alter the man. How soon God brought him down!”

Humility is key in our relationship with God and others. Theologian John Stott said, “The authority by which a Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power but power is only safe in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” Martin Luther, the central figure of the Reformation, reminds us, "God creates out of nothing. Therefore, until a man has nothing, God can make nothing out of him." Jesus puts it like this “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). You and I, in humility, must get small before the Lord and say, “Lord, I walk in Your grace and Your forgiveness. I’m small before You. I walk in humility before You.”

Only when we let go of our pride and anger can we fully experience God’s grace and love. Who are you angry at? Who is in the jail of your mind and doesn’t even know it? Ask the Lord to heal your heart so that you can start to live in the brightness of Christ.