“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31).
“He was so filled with bitterness that it nearly gave him bad breath,” the young patrol officer said to his Watch Commander. “Honestly, Sarge, I have never seen such anger. I know I am still new in this job, but wow! That guy was so angry that I thought he was going to explode!” Patrolman Hannifen said as he walked back to his cruiser. In the cage in the back seat sat a man who was not quite subdued. But less than ten minutes before he had been smashing and breaking things in the apartment of his estranged girlfriend. Maybe our anger would never be so expressed. However, with anger we must ask the following questions: Is it appropriate? Is it appropriately expressed? Is the duration appropriate (dealt with by sunset!)? Don’t let situations build into bitterness, friends. Surrender them to the Lord.
For today: “Be put away from you” with the Lord’s help is the best way to deal with anger issues.