Don't Let The Sun Go Down . . . On Your Anger!

Have you ever heard the saying "Don't let the sun go down on your anger"?  That's what one of my aunts told me at a family reunion.  Ever since my aunt told me that I have thought and thought about how true that is.  I was reading a couple nights ago and it turns out she got it from the Bible.  In Ephesians  Paul says:

In your anger do not sin.  Do not let then sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians (4:26,27, NIV)

I used to have a tough time with this.  I was good with controlling my anger but there are some people that just got under my skin and I stayed mad at them.  Paul tells us that if you stay mad at someone then a grudge forms.  I have never liked grudges.  They are so hard to get rid of.  Sometimes we have them without even realizing it.  That is the "foothold" Paul doesn't want the devil to have in our lives.  Grudges can grow bigger and more infectious if we don't forgive and let go of our anger.  Paul reminded me of this last night:

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  (Colosians 3:8, NIV)

Keeping a grudge almost always results in wanting to get even.  Wanting justice for yourself is natural, but revenge isn't the way to get it.  Paul has an alternative that is way more effective:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.  On the contrary:

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21, NIV)

Paul tells us to be at peace with everyone and if you do get mad at someone, don't do revenge.  In fact, he wants us to do the opposite.  He wants us to be nice especially to the people who do us wrong and try to make our lives miserable.  People like that expect you to fight back, being nice to them is the equivalent of a smack in the face.  When we be nice to them the person that is being mean to us won't have a logical reason to be mean in the eyes of others and it will make that person look especially bad.  God will serve the revenge for you, His revenge is perfect in every way.

So don't let the sun go down on your anger, nothing good can ever come from that.  You can be an example for that person and maybe even lead them to Christ in the process!