10 Things To Abandon For Spiritual GrowthSample

Abandon: Anger

Not all anger is bad. Good anger, also known as righteous indignation, is a godly response to injustice. (i.e., being angry about sex trafficking, unfair wages/work conditions) The anger discussed here is the enticing, enraging, and out-of-control anger.

This type of anger does not lead to the results we’re looking for. James 1:20 says, “...human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (NIV) Anger that is not of God tears the the world down instead of leading us to a positive result of building it up. In other words, the final goal of anger should always be justice and not revenge.

How do we abandon this worldly anger? Each day we make a choice that God’s way is always better. A young and wise man recently said at his mother’s celebration after losing her to cancer, “[speaking to his Mom] The one thing I can’t be at God is angry because you wouldn’t want me to get in the way of God by being angry." This young man is courageously trusting in and being obedient to God's ways to live in this broken world.

Prayer:
Our Father, please help us to be wise each day to avoid the trap of worldly anger. Help us to remember that we may not always understand each situation that comes our way; getting angry in a way that does not honor You does not help. May we pursue Your peace and allow it to guard our hearts.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.