Remote Control

Always be on your guard against your anger,
And then you will not be carried away
By other violent desires.
Anger gives fuel to all sorts of other passions
And always clouds the spiritual eye,
Disrupting the state of pure prayer.

Evagrios of Pontus

I said something – particularly a word – that I regretted the other day. It didn’t sound like me talking. It was only the third time something like it happened in six times as many years. I was mortified that a word lacking such Christian culture could even fall out of my mouth. I couldn’t believe that anything like that was even in my heart.

I noticed last year that, amongst those of my inner circle, I would really let go and rant when the frustrations of ministry got too much or things fell apart again. I was really embarrassed when I realized, almost from a third party perspective, that emotion was overwhelming me.

Both of these situations embarrassed me because I want to be like Jesus. Both of these situations broke me because I know that one moment without control opens the door to all kinds of things from inappropriate words, dishonor of testimony, gossip, malice to self-centeredness. Anger ushers in all these things because one cannot get angry without becoming the judge and the jury. Anger can only come forth on the road of selfishness, for any injustice can be endured patiently if a man is doing the call of God.

Certainly, there is the righteous anger of a righteous person that burns against unrighteousness done to the righteous or innocent. Even that “righteous anger” should be guarded against, though, for the common enemy can easily use it to push you over the edge into unrighteousness. Even God is broken hearted for those He gets angry with trying to reach them long before His righteous anger burns.

Anger was the common denominator in both of my situations. It was not righteous even though it was against circumstances that were not right. The battle against anger teaches - uncontrolled emotion prevents us from hearing God well and from leading like God.