ONE SECOND IN TIME
ONE SECOND IN TIME
Recently, here in Kansas City, in one second, we were enjoying and celebrating our town’s Chiefs winning the Super Bowl, and the next second shots rang out, killing one and injuring 22. Nine of those were children. Thousands were gathered smiling and shouting for our win. So many families. Even schools suspended classes for that day. Then, one second in time, chaos ensued. How could this happen at such a joyful occasion? Why would a person or persons, shoot randomly into a crowd? The police have found two people who got into an argument. Got angry. Pulled out their guns (my question is why did they have the guns there anyway) and started randomly shooting into the crowd, causing so much physical and mental pain for those who were there and those of us watching it on tv. Many are seeking out professional help because of the trauma. How can that happen? How can anger stir up someone to do that? In one second in time, the men who shot the guns, are facing prison sentences-a family started burial arrangements-sweet children’s parents sat by their bedside in shock.
Have you ever been angry? I know I have. I am angry at those who killed and hurt people the day mentioned above. It is a normal response to what is going on around us. But we have to learn how to control that anger. Those men who used their guns and shot innocent people that day, let anger take control of them. Let’s look at a couple of verses about anger.
- Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” Psalm 4:4 “Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.” These verses show getting angry could lead to sin and anger can let the devil within our hearts. Instead of immediately reacting to a situation, God tells us we need to think before we act. Anger is a foothold in our heart to do wrong!
- James 1:19-20 “…my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Romans 12:17-21 “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord…Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” When someone wrongs us or gets angry with us, the natural reaction is to retaliate, verbally and/or physically. But this response does not glorify God. We can demonstrate Godly love by being “slow to speak, slow to wrath.” There will be situations, when peace is not in our control. We need to remember that God will punish those who sin against us. We have to actively defuse the anger in OUR hearts. We will answer for OUR lives when we stand before God. We need to be swift to hear and try to defuse the situation with love. Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath. But a harsh word stirs up anger.”
- Colossians 3:8-10 “But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man…” Ephesians 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” When we are a Christian, we are to become a new man (woman), doing away with our old self. We are to do away with the immediate reaction to all the things that so easily come out of our mouths in anger; those emotions that tend to want us to lash out at another. We are to be kind to each other and forgive readily when others sin against us.
I feel I have the personality of being slow to anger. Although, if someone says or does something to or against one of my family, the “momma bear” in me comes out. There were many times when I was caring for my husband, that he said, did or did not do, something that caused me to “blow.” I am sure you have something that causes or has caused your anger to rise up. We all do. That is part of our human emotions. God created us and He also tells us what to do when we get angry. Notice the verses under number 1 above, which start out with, “Be angry…” God knows there will be things in this world that cause us to become angry. But He does not create in us that emotion without showing us how to deal with it. God does not want us to stay in or hold onto that emotion of anger, because it can totally destroy us and others! We cannot hold onto it! Notice the above verses and the words that I underlined that give us the tools to overcome that emotion-feeling of anger.
Anger is a warning signal to stop and think. Some things we can do when we get angry, are: take a walk, listen to God’s nature, make a positive list about the person or thing we are angry to or about, meditate on God’s word the bible, go to a quiet place and pray, do something good for another, talk to a trusted friend, journal about the situation, make a plan to solve the reason for the anger, take a deep breath and simply breathe. It seems if I get those feelings out to God, written on a piece of paper or talk to a trusted friend, that the anger starts to dissolve away. If the anger does not dissolve, it can turn into sin. Reach out to someone or the anger can lead to so many different sins. The anger I mentioned at the top of this article, led to murder!
God allows a type of righteous anger when we experience injustice or wrong is done to us or another. But this type of anger is not driven by selfishness, pride, desire for revenge and its ultimate goal is not to harm others or assert control. We should never be led away from our faith or morals. Instead use the power of your emotions to bring about righteousness. Jesus exhibited righteous anger in Matthew 2:12-13, by overturning the tables on the steps of the temple. Also read, John 2:13-16. Right after, in Matthew’s account, we see Jesus healing people in the temple. His anger turned to healing.
Proverbs 16:32 says “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.” We all get angry. We all have injustices done or said about us or those we love. But the point of this blog, is to say, when we get angry, let it go and let God. If we let it swirl in our hearts and thoughts and stay there, anger can only lead to sin. Rather, as Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8-9 “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Anger can be like an erupting volcano! Stop it before it destroys you and others! One second in time in anger, can change a person’s life forever!
Till next time! Keela