Irvin Wasswa- Tylertown Campus Pastor LHBC
1 Peter 2:21-24
21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
One of my favorite artists Lecrae came out with a song several years ago entitled “Anger Management”. In the song he highlights the realities of the problem we have with our anger. He gives several examples in the song of people who retaliate in response to a situation while in the flesh because of their anger. For many the response when someone insults them is to insult them back, or harbor the anger in your heart and then to respond in a way that does not honor the Lord later down the road. The main point of the song was to instead choose to follow the example of Jesus who did not do that, but rather entrusted Himself to the Father.
In 1 Peter 2 we see Jesus Christ being described as a man of meekness. In the midst of the suffering He was having to endure, in the midst of being reviled and ridiculed by the Roman guards who were beating Him (Luke 22:63-65). In the midst of all of that, Jesus did not retaliate out of anger. He did did not hurl insults back. He could’ve done both of those things. I mean, He was the Son of God. He could’ve struck them guards dead right then and there if He wanted. Instead, He chose the meekness route. Instead of reacting, He chose to continue to run to the Father and entrusting Himself to His care, knowing that He was to bear the sins of the world.
We are to follow the same example when it comes to dealing with anger child of God. Listen, instead of retaliating in anger when someone has “done you wrong”, you respond by taking them to the Lord in prayer and forgiving them. Instead of responding in anger because someone has insulted you, choose to forgive them and take them to the Lord in prayer. To many, this form of “Anger Management” may seem weak, but it is actually the opposite. It has been said that meekness is not weakness, but power under control. As a believer when we display meekness in response to a situation where we can react out of our anger, our life actually preaches that there is something different about us. That form of response shows a life that has been changed by Jesus.
This morning, let us choose to display this form of anger management. Instead of reacting out of anger over a situation, run to Him and take said issue to the Lord in prayer. If a fellow believer has done you wrong, instead of lashing out at them or harboring that anger in your heart, entrust yourself to the Lord by taking them and the situation to Him in prayer, then go and speak with them if needed once you’ve calmed down and your heart is right. If a lost person has disrespected you, instead of reacting out of anger, choose to entrust yourself to Jesus, and take that situation to Him. Let us follow the example of Jesus in 1 Peter 2 and display proper “Anger Management”.
PRAYER FOR TODAY: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for who You are. Thank you for the example of Jesus in how he dealt with being done wrong. Help me today to follow that model of anger management as I continue to walk with you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
1 John 5:12-13
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.