A Fit of Anger

Have you ever read a passage in the Bible that completely wrecks you? I’m sure you have. If God is working at all in your life, He is wrecking it in some way through His word.

Last month, my dad bought me a new Bible. It was a complete surprise and a huge blessing. I had had the same Bible, an NIV translation, since I was an early teenager. I had been researching the different translations, and decided that the ESV Bible was the one I wanted. So, one day my dad bought me a very nice, leather bound, journaling ESV Bible. I’m thoroughly enjoying reading it… it’s so nice! It’s almost like I’m reading the words with new eyes. I don’t know, but there’s something special about a new Bible, a different translation, and a mindset to learn. I decided that I was going to read through the entire New Testament in no particular order. I’m a marker. I love to highlight and underline and make notes in the margins and so forth, so I’m honestly enjoying reading straight through books much more than one would think. Well, as you can tell from my previous blog post, I’m reading through Galatians. Tonight, I read how one should walk by the Spirit in chapter 5. I’ve read this passage countless times before. I mean, come one, it’s the fruits of the Spirit! But, remember how I said I was reading with new eyes? Well, this is a perfect example.

Tonight I lost my temper. It was long in coming, I’m afraid. I tend to hold things in, and it’s to my disadvantage. My anger gets pent up and then it explodes. Tonight was the exploding part. Something that shouldn’t have triggered my anger at all, completely did… and I totally let it. You see, anger isn’t bad in itself… it’s the lost control that comes with anger. It’s like a paralyzing emotion. My good sense was paralyzed and I said things that were hurtful and ungrateful. So after the explosion and a good cry after a post-midnight shower, I opened up my Bible to Galatians. And read that the works of the flesh are evident. Those works include impurity, sensuality, enmity, strife, jealousy, envy, and fits of anger. This is the second time we are warned that these things cannot and will not inherit the kingdom of God. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Guess what? Total wreckage. Of me, that is. My little pity party/releasing of the beast was me giving into my flesh. And the flesh is opposite everything I strive to be.

Talk about a wake-up call. It’s times like these when I realize just how much I need Jesus. Cause I’m absolutely nothing on my own. I am a failure on my own actually. That is the one thing I have no problem being. But now that I know Jesus, failure doesn’t cut it anymore. For if I walk by the Spirit, I cannot gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.

Love.
Joy.
Peace.
Patience.
Kindness.
Goodness.
Faithfulness.
Gentleness.
Self-control.

Against such things there is no law.