Nursing Anger

For weeks, it seems, I have been stuck in these chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew:  Jesus’ teaching about forgiveness and prayer.

Nowhere in the Bible does it teach that we are never to be angry. Indeed, we learn at one point that God was so angry with the people of Israel that He was on the point of destroying the lot of them (Exodus 32:9). Moses had to intervene. And sometimes it is right – very right- for us to be angry. We know that Jesus was angry – He was furious – when He found people making the temple into a noisy market-place for haggling and trading.  He was so angry that He turfed them all out with a whip and sent their stalls flying.

Paul writes to the Ephesians and says some very important things: ‘Each of you must put off falsehood and must speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body.  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 4:25-6.

And what we are not to do is to let our anger go on simmering and stewing. If we have an issue – we can speak it out, truthfully, kindly, directly.

Sometimes we have to keep silent – but we can pray about it: ask God to bring healing to the wound that has devastated us, irritated or annoyed us and, at the same time, ask God to help us to forgive the person who has hurt us; and give us the feelings of forgiveness as we choose to forgive.

Oh, I can remember times when I have said to God: “God, I am choosing to forgive X for what he/she has done. Please, You have to give me the feelings of forgiveness for this person who has hurt me so much.”   Do you know, God does that when we ask Him. It may take (it will almost certainly take) time for God to change our feelings and heal the wounds another has inflicted on us. But He can – and does – do miracles, I find, when I sincerely pray that prayer to Him.

The one thing we must not do is nurse our anger and our unforgiveness.