I am sure that all of us are aware of short but wise sayings, that we would do well to remember and live our lives by them for guidance.’ However, although often brief and simply stated, they are what we might term, ‘hard sayings’, i.e. a challenge to live up to.

I invite you today to meditate on an emotion that is HARD for many of us to control; i.e. ANGER. The Bible teaches us ‘BE ANGRY, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath’, Ephesians chapter 4 verse 40. We often associate ANGER with a person losing their temper; therefore, it must ALWAYS be wrong! Our initial response might well be: ‘It’s impossible to be ANGRY with someone and not to do the wrong thing’.

There can be, what can rightfully be termed, righteous anger. God is often portrayed in the Bible as displaying His anger against the wicked and even against Israel, His own people, when they were disobedient to His commands. On one occasion, Jesus Himself, made a whip of small chords and drove the unscrupulous traders and religious leaders, so-called, out of the Temple.

It was  made clear in every situation, that God would not tolerate sin! Even time limits were placed on anger! There is no reason why the limits should not be taken literally, e.g. not letting the sun go down on your wrath.

There are, of course, different ways of coping with anger. One of the most constructive ways is to confess that we are angry – to God, to ourselves, to those we have offended.  If we take the time, we can gain much help from the Book of Proverbs: 15v1; 17v14; 19v11; 22v24-25; 27v4-6; 29v11.

If we meditate upon these thoughts from Scripture they will make us easier to live with and help us to live more effectively with others and them with us.