By Nate Warren
The Word
Ephesians 4:26-28 (NKJV)
26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
Psalm 4:2 (NKJV)
2 How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.
4 Be angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.
Reflection
In the second verse of Psalm 4, we can hear the frustration in David’s voice toward these sons of men. I imagine he was thinking of King Saul, his predecessor, whom he served diligently, even after Saul kept trying to kill him. Perhaps he thought of Absalom, his son, who tried to assassinate him. How many times have each of us appealed to reason, like David:
How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood?
David, though, takes a breath. Selah. This is where his exasperation ends. His trust in God is greater. Verse 4 is either David’s thoughts after he considers the Lord, or the Lord’s instruction to him.
Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.
Paul invokes this poem in his letter to the Ephesus church. Christians, he says, are the New Humanity. They do not hang onto anger and resentment, even when it seems justified. They are the ones who have the ear of the Lord (James 5:16), who can waltz into his throne room (Ephesians 2:18) and ask for anything (Matthew 7:7). There’s no reason for indignation and wrath, only trust.
Why is Paul bringing this up now, though? What does controlling our anger have to do with the message Paul is getting through in the larger passage? The answer is found in verse 3:
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Jesus-followers work in unity with one another, despite all of their many differences. If offended, they do not lash out or stew in anger. They do not steal from one another. These would tear apart the unity of the Church. Paul’s purpose is not to establish another set of rules, but to show the contrast between the life apart from God with the new life in Jesus. He is beginning to spark their imagination to the actions that have no place in their new life, and the good they can accomplish together for the sake of the gospel.
Application
Perhaps we should let David’s narrative help us. How can we establish a practice to identify when we are angry, and use that moment to
- Take a breath
- Acknowledge what God has done for us and is doing in our situation.
- Ask Him to calm our physical reaction and show us how we should respond
After reading this, take a few moments to consider the situations or actions that are angering you. Follow these steps in these situations, so that your body and mind will become accustomed to the process.
If you find you need a different set of steps, then I won’t be offended. The point is not the specific practice, but that we make the necessary efforts to establish habits of dependence on God’s power.
Prayer
Father,
Thank you for the life you have called us to.
As I take on this day, I will practice the habit of looking to You when I am angry, frustrated or offended. I trust that you will help me as I do this, and that you will use these opportunities to make this a regular habit, forming my character.
May Your people be unified in love and the truth of their calling.
Amen
City Life Starter 
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