December 4, 2018—Ephesians 4:26-27

Be you angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.
– Ephesians 4:26-27

Thoughts on Today’s Verse:

The verse reminds us that we should not sin when we are angry. If we cannot keep calm when we are angry, we will flare up at any time, and thus harm others and offend God. I often cannot control my temper. When I get angry, I often have my reason and even think what I do is right. Later I read a passage of God’s words, “Regardless of whether one becomes angry in the sight of others or behind their backs, everyone has a different intention and purpose. Perhaps they are building up their prestige, or maybe they are defending their own interests, maintaining their image or keeping face. Some exercise restraint in their anger, while others are more rash and flare up with rage whenever they wish without the least bit of restraint. In short, man’s anger derives from his corrupt disposition. No matter what its purpose, it is of the flesh and of nature; it has nothing to do with justice or injustice because nothing in man’s nature and substance corresponds to the truth.

After reading the words I realized that when we become angry, we have our intentions and purposes. When our interests are touched on or threatened, we will easily lose temper. At that time, we need to pray to God more, practice the Lord’s words, and don’t do things according to our hot blood. In that way, our temper will be gone.

In addition, we should know that regardless of whether the matter that happens to us is big or small, it is related to spiritual warfare, in which we need to stand witness for God but not shame God.

Let’s share another passage of God’s words: “In every step of work that God does within people, externally it appears to be interactions between people, as if born of human arrangements, or from human interference. But behind the scenes, every step of work, and everything that happens, is a wager made by Satan before God, and requires people to stand firm in their testimony to God. Take when Job was tried, for example: Behind the scenes, Satan was making a bet with God, and what happened to Job was the deeds of men, and the interference of men. Behind every step that God does in you is Satan’s wager with God—behind it all is a battle. For example, if you are prejudiced toward your brothers and sisters, you will have words that you want to say—words that you feel may be displeasing to God—but it will be hard for you inside, and at this moment, a battle will commence within you: Do I speak or not? This is the battle. Thus, in everything there is a battle, and when there is a battle within you, thanks to your actual cooperation and actual suffering God works within you. Ultimately, inside you are able to put the matter aside and the anger is naturally extinguished. Such is the effect of your cooperation with God.