"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing."
Psalm 37:8
The term "righteous anger" is used a lot within Christian circles. It's used to explain our desire for justice in this world. We get righteously angry when someone is mistreated, or we see God and His Word being disrespected. Jesus even had righteous anger as he turned over the tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12-13). But have we, as Christians, taken this concept further than we ought?
For as long as I've been in the church, I thought I understood this righteous anger: "It's okay to be angry, as long as it is for a good cause". But is that really what it is? Or have we turned it into a way of justifying our anger against people, organizations, and our government?
There are many passages in Scripture that talk about this topic; like the one below from Ephesians, that warns us against sinning when we are angry:
"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."
Ephesians 4:26
And we are told over and over again in the Psalms and Proverbs, to wait for the Lord:
"In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation"
Psalm 5:3
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."
Psalm 27:14
"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry."
Psalm 40:1
"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope."
Psalm 130:6
Psalm 130:6
"Do not say, 'I will pay you back for this wrong!'
Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you."
Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you."
Proverbs 20:22
"Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good"
Romans 12:9b.
and
"Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."
Romans 12:19
So how are we to respond to all these pieces of Scripture? Well, if I've learned anything from being in Bible school it is this: look at the context.
"'Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of
God,
for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay,' says the
Lord.
But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink;
for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.'
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:19-21
So when something is done that is against God's Word, and all you want to do is give that person a piece of your mind, don't. Wait on the Lord. Vengeance is His. But what are we suppose to do in the meantime? "Overcome evil with good". Love. Trust in the hope that God has promised to us. Know that He has already won, and He will not let evil come out on top. Seek Him. Cling to what is good: cling to His Word. And in doing so, I believe He will lead us to a place in which we can stand up and defend Him and His Word.
In other words, we need to be carefully watching our motives. We can be righteously angry, but in doing so, are we fulfilling an internal bitterness towards someone? Or are we desiring and longing for God's perfect plan to prevail? Has this anger occurred because we have been hurt personally, or because God is deliberately being disobeyed?
I've been wrestling through these questions a lot lately for myself and some anger I have been dealing with. I find great encouragement in Psalm 37. I need to trust in the Lord and delight in His ways. I need to spend more time praying, cultivating a faithfulness within myself, and committing my way to Him. I need to wait on the Lord and delight myself in Him.
So I challenge this upon myself, and to my brother and sisters in Christ: Where is your heart when you are angry? Do you need to stop and Wait on the Lord first?
"Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently (longingly) for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land."
Psalm 37:1-9
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