Crouching at your Door…

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Graeme Wilson in Victory Call

One of our most powerful emotions is anger. While anger itself is not a sin, it’s one of the emotions that can so easily cause us to sin. The way we respond to anger can either turn people to Christ or cause them to build up bigger walls.

What I mean by that is… when we’re angry, do we yell? Do we sulk? Do we sin and say some not-nice things or seek revenge? That’s what the world expects… but not what Jesus expects. As believers, we are representing what it means to be a Christ-follower. And if a Christ-follower sins in their anger, people will definitely notice. They will build walls of “These ‘Christians’ say they’re loving, but they’re not” or “These ‘Christians’ are such hypocrites.”

One of my favorite Bible verses of all time is Genesis 4:6-7
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

It is crouching at your door, it desires to have you, but you must rule over it… The Lord is warning us that when we’re angry, it’s a slippery slope to sin that we must avoid. That isn’t the only place in scripture where the Lord warns us about anger.

Ephesians 4:26-27 states: “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.

James 1:19-20 states: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

We want to produce righteousness and avoid giving the devil any opportunity to carry out his schemes. Like I said, how we respond to anger can either turn people to Christ or cause them to build up their walls. Instead of responding to anger through swearing or hurting others, what if we responded in love and turned to scripture and prayer? How different our lives look when we choose that route, and people take notice when followers of Christ respond positively in bad situations.

Erin

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She had served on Summer Staff since 2011, and in 2015 had the unique opportunity of co-directing Children’s Ministry with one of her best friends. She is very excited to continue to build relationships with the guests and be very involved in the ministry.