Passage Read: Colossians 3-4
Meditation Verses: 3:8-9
Thought
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I have been made new, I am called to set my heart on "things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Earthly things I'm supposed to be dead to. I used to live and walk in such things, but I should no longer, not as a redeemed child of God. The things of the earth, the things that belong only to earth should no longer matter to me. Rather, the things of God, the things of heaven, these should be most important to me. Pleasing my Father in Heaven, doing His will, seeing people and situations and circumstances as He sees them. Earth is a training ground for heaven. As such, I even need to put away all anger and wrath and malice and slander and abusive speech. My weakness is anger, especially at myself, but I can also be angry at others. With anger can come wrath, a desire to bring my judgment on others, and malice, a desire just to hurt people, whether it is just or not. I may not be able to bodily harm others, but I can speak evil of them, slander them to myself, to God, even to other people; I can abuse them in my speech toward them or about them. All that comes from an earthly perspective and care. Anger comes when I can't get something I want, when someone blocks some temporal, earthly goal or pursuit of mine. So one key path to giving up anger, wrath, malice and the rest is to let go of earthly goals and purposes, and exchange them for heavenly goals and purposes. What does God desire? That all men know of Him, whether or not they believe. He wants them warned. He wants them to know the difference between righteousness and wickedness, by word and by example. He wants me to live in the likeness of Jesus and speak for Him, so that all around me know more about Jesus because of me, and become convicted, hopefully to turn to Christ.
Application
When I am frustrated in my earthly pursuits, then I easily become angry. Especially when its an inanimate object that doesn't do what I want it to, or if it's me who messes up my goals. But also when someone else blocks me from obtaining my goal. In every case, it is the Lord who rules and ordains all things. Many are the plans in my heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. I am not my own, neither is my day my own. I may have a rough outline of what I'd like to accomplish, but I have to give room to God to direct my steps and orchestrate my circumstances. When I really let God be God in my life, to rule and direct my every situation, then I can find peace and freedom from anger.