Anger: Pt. 3 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning.

As we head into this day, don’t forget to put God first in your life, and putting God first in your life often means putting him first in your day.

For some of us that means as soon as we get up we need to spend some time with God. For me, as soon as I get up is not a good time because I’m not a morning person by nature, and when I wake up I’m drowsy, I’m dragging, I’m groggy.

And I head straight for the shower, and when I get in the shower, I start to wake up, and that’s when I start talking to God and really focusing on my relationship with Him. But put God first in your day, not just first in your life, because if you put him first in your day, then God’s way of thinking impacts on the way you think about life, on your response to the day.

And your life comes in line with what God is trying to do in your life.

Well, we’re talking this week about anger.

Let me go to a few verses in Colossians chapter 3, and as we read, just be asking God, Lord, speak to me, show me something you want me to know that’ll help me in life.

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Here it is

But now you also put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you laid aside the old self with its sinful practices and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him.

A renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythians, slave and free man, but Christ is all and in all. And so as those who have been chosen by God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience bearing with one another, forgiving each other.

Whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as God forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.

To which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Well, did you see the very first thing in the list of things to put aside, but now you also put them all aside: anger.

The first thing on the list. Well, it’s easier said than done though, isn’t it, to put anger aside. The other first step in putting anger aside is to recognize and acknowledge the anger that’s in our hearts. For some people that’s easy, but for others it can be very difficult.

You know, and putting anger aside, some of the anger that you feel is a response to hurt that you have experienced. And the hurt has to be dealt with first.

The Bible tells us to overcome evil with good and sometimes the way to overcome hurt in your life that has come from evil actions or sources, it is with forgiveness.

Simmering anger and bitterness hurts your spiritual life. And you need to deal with it.

Don’t be afraid to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal unforgiveness and bitterness in your life, because the longer you stuff it down inside of you, the stronger it’ll become and the harder your heart will grow. Bring those issues out into the open. Deal with them. Forgive people. If you can’t do it, ask God to forgive them through you.

I’m John North.

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