Don't let the sun catch you angry.

I've been thinking a lot today about the scripture, "In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26)" [it came up on the YS_Scoop feed on Twitter this morning, and my brain keeps going back to it]. It's one that everybody knows, and few follow, not because they don't want to, not because they don't believe it, but because it's really really hard.

Usually anger stems from feeling as if an injustice has happened towards someone, whether yourself or someone you care about. Maybe someone treated you poorly, maybe they hurt someone you love, or maybe they just rubbed you the wrong way. Whatever happened, anger built up and you're stuck going, "now what?"

Anger isn't a sin. It's an emotion, it happens. It's what happens next that's so important. Anger is like a cut- if you don't treat it when it happens, it gets infected and everything just gets worse. Anger gives room for sin to enter the picture. If left unaddressed, it allows other thoughts, actions, and emotions to enter the picture, too. It blows up into a bigger deal than the initial incident.

"Anger nurtured somehow gives Satan a place to stand in our heads. Anger protected and unreleased gives him access to our hearts." -YS Newsletter

The biggest thing we can do when anger comes up [and it's the hardest thing to do] is confront it head on in LOVE. If someone hurt us, causing the anger, we need to talk to them, try to understand where the other person is coming from, and explain where our hearts are as well. It's hard, but it's not impossible. It just takes us swallowing our pride and seeing the situation with the eyes of Christ. We have to offer each other grace and understanding, even when our human nature fights it. We have to rise above our humanity and let the anger go. And, as with anything in life, we've got to let God's grace be an example and a motivator for our actions. It's not easy, but it's so important when it comes to our spiritual health and our relationship with God.

Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life. -Eph 4:26-27 [MSG]