What’s So Bad About Being Angry?

• Can you share a time when you were really angry with someone?

• How do you think God feels about anger?

“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
Matthew 5:22

“You shall not murder” is the sixth commandment. We all know that murder is wrong. But in this verse from Matthew, Jesus teaches that the sinful anger that causes us to call others names or say bad things about them is the same sinful anger that leads to murder. You don’t need to have blood on your hands to be guilty of sinful anger.

If you feel yourself starting to get angry, take it to God immediately. Ask him to replace your anger with forgiveness, with love, with peace. We are commanded to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves—there is no room for sinful anger.

God looks at the heart. Yes, he sees the sin, but he also sees very clearly the motive behind the sin. God wants us to have clean hands and pure hearts.

PRAYER
Dear God, please give us self-control; help us to not get angry with one another. Let the Holy Spirit purify our hearts. Amen.