Emotions - Ephesians 4:26-27

Can you think of a time you've let your temper get the best of you, and you said or did something in anger that you knew was wrong? Growing up the youngest of four boys, I certainly had many moments that I let anger get the best of me. We all have the propensity to feel anger, but how we respond makes all the difference. Anger is an emotion that can lead to sin and give the devil an opportunity to further damage our relationships. Part of having good emotional margins is setting boundaries with anger. The NIV says "In your anger, do not sin", and I also love how the NLT summarizes this thought, "don’t sin by letting anger control you." It's not that we will never feel angry, but when we do, we can't let it control us. He tells us we need to deal with it right away--we can't allow it to build up in us, and we can't expect that it will just fade away by morning. If we store up that anger, our emotional margins will shrink and ultimately lead to those instances of lashing out and damaging our relationships.

PRAY: God, I confess that there have been times I have allowed anger to control me. There are times when I feel like holding on to anger, or hiding it in hopes that it will fade away. Lord, help me to have enough margin with my emotions that I am able to deal with anger as you've instructed. Lord, give me strength where I am weak. Amen.