Thursday, August 9, 2007

Anger and Satan's Opportunities

Ephes. 4:26-27
26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephes. 4:31-32
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
  • Why do you think God made us with the capacity for anger?
  • How does anger give the devil opportunity?
  • Why does God want things resolved quickly?
  • What other "wrongs" does your anger hang out with?
  • How can you be tender-hearted and forgiving along with being angry?
  • Why is it easier to get (and stay) mad than to resolve and forgive?
  • How do you feel about facing the anger of God?
Harold's Musings:
It has been said that there is little that God created that Satan cannot distort for his schemes. If you think about it, it is sort of intimidating. Food, sex, anger, love, grace, and the list goes on. All of them have been used by Satan in his plans. Anger has the potential to be one of the most dangerous. Murder, domestic violence, child and animal abuse, gossip, slander, factions, and the list goes on. When Satan uses food against me, the hurt is generally limited to me. When he uses anger, others suffer and those hurts are usually slow to heal. Remember: Satan is out to take you down, roaming around looking. You have Jesus on your side. Anger will happen. Sin from the anger does not have to happen.

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