KNOWN BY OUR LOVE

 

JUNE 8, 2023

John 10:10

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.


Ephesians 4:21-26


21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,

Matthew 5:43-47



43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?




My spirit has been deeply troubled over the last few years with the overwhelming collective anger we have and are experiencing in our culture. Whether we are talking about the so-called secular culture or the sacred culture of religion we notice this trend. Why are most of us so offended or angry much of the time?

I suspect part reason is that our anger is now publicly recorded. I believe I am correct when I say this, people used to get angry and then move on. That was my experience in a general way at least. Things change don’t they, now, people post on social media when they are angry, offended and frustrated and this seems to ignite more outrage.

We also have to remember, what John 10 says above that we have a real enemy whose objective is to steal, kill, and destroy. I believe left unchecked our human anger feeds right into that plan.

Now Anger itself is just an emotion, not a sin. But what we do with that anger can become a problem. Here are three ways our anger can be destructive, a problem.

It divides us.

We’ve all been there. You see a relative or a close friend, maybe a fellow believer, share something you disagree with, and you’re immediately triggered. Your blood is boiling, and your gut reaction is to retaliate, respond harshly, or unfriend them altogether. But here’s the thing: A divided world needs a unified church. We need one another. And if we shut out people we disagree with, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to learn, grow, and share God’s love.

It distracts us.

Our anger can sometimes distract us with earthly concerns instead of eternal matters. That doesn’t mean we ignore the things Jesus cares about or passively ignore injustices that hurt people. But it does mean that we can’t allow our anger to keep us from loving like Jesus.

It discredits us.

When we’re constantly angry, people won’t see the love of Jesus in us. Yes, sometimes Jesus got angry. But He was known for His love, not for His anger.  We’re called to love. So let us be careful not to discredit our testimony and witness by confirming the world’s idea that Christians are hypocritical, judgmental, or bitter. Frankly, I have seen way to much of this in the last few years.

“Let’s let go of the anger that keeps us captive. And instead, let’s be like Christ, who didn’t let His anger lead to sin. His love was powerful enough to cover both the oppressed and the oppressor. And we’re called to do the same, to right wrongs without writing people off and to seek justice while also loving mercy.” (taken from Devos Daily Devotions, June 2022)

Micah 6:8

8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

LET US PRAY

God, I don’t want my anger to divide, distract, or discredit my ability to show Your love to others. Show me any areas where my anger has become a problem, and humble me. Help me be known for my love, not my anger. In Jesus’ name, amen.