To Reach or To Repel, Proverb 15:1

Hostility seems to be a hallmark of this church age in a similar way that political correctness is to the world. It is alright for us to be righteously indignant as long as we do not sin. There is a place for righteous indignation, but God does not permit much anger because it is difficult not to sin when angry. That kind of anger is a "mark of the beast."

Frequently, hostility is simply a denial of reality. People do not have tempers born in them; angry tempers begin to be created in childhood. Parents allow tempers to burst forth, and each time it happens, it becomes easier—and the next time and the next and on and on until it is ingrained in the personality.

Anger is nothing more than a passionate response to some sort of stimuli, and it is almost always a self-centered response. It usually begins when we believe that what should or should not have happened either did or did not, and conflict arises. We can believe, either strongly or weakly, it should or should not have happened. Therefore, anger can be either strong or weak or anywhere in between.

The reality is what happened, happened. How will anger help the problem? Satan believes that it does because he wants to control, to win, to compete, to devour, to get the upper hand, to triumph. Satan is the author of the practice of "Divide and Conquer". He wins every time a fight breaks. Satan pushes our buttons to move us into the stage of anger, so that we will manipulate or punish others. Why not just start working on a solution without the anger instead? We know that that anger will likely create sin and cause additional damage to the relationship? In a way, it is all very logical, but our feelings get in the way.

Things happen because laws are broken, not just God's laws, but secular laws also. remember, we all reap what we sow. Sometimes we just get caught in other peoples' ignorance and stupidity. This is a fact of everybody's life, even to God when He became Jesus in the flesh. He got caught in the ignorance and stupidity of His fellow Israelites in Judea, and it cost Him His life. In God's situation however, He knew it would happen, and thus He used it to save the world. Yet, in all his trials and tribulations leading up to His Crucifiction and death, Jesus never once sinned. OH He did get angry, just read about the time He cleansed the temple.

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up. (Psalm 69:9) John 2:13-17

However, in all His anger He never sinned in the process. His anger was righteous, because it was based in truth, and He Himself was not guilty of hate for anyone when He got angry. Too often men begin hating others when we get angry. The lesson? Well, if you believe you can get angry as Christ did, and not sin, then go for it. If and when you feel the urge to get angry, I would suggest you be in the same mindset as Christ was.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5

In reality, as a child of God, we should do our best to make peace. If we cannot make peace nor show anger in a righteous way, then I suggest you walk away. It's best to walk away than to allow those around you see two sinners instead of one sinner and a man of God. Difficult I know, but it is what we are called to do. Consider how far Jesus went to make peace when it counted most. Well, He went all the way to the cross, even asking His father to forgive those who raised Him up like a serpent in the desert. (Numbers 21:9

The Scriptures tell us;

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

The first clause can be paraphrased, "There is a way that man thinks things should be." This is where our conflict arises from. Two people see things differently. The question is, "Who is to say that it should be the way we see it?" All humans apply the standard that they hold as being the right one. However in today's fallen world, our Judaeo/Christian beliefs belong to a smaller and smaller minority. To the point that even the secular law is against Christian values the vast majority of the time. Are you going to get angry at everyone? Or would it be better to step back and realize it's time to begin reaching with the Gospel of truth, instead of repelling people with anger.

Trust me, I'm probably one of the most guilty Christians when it comes to repelling others with my non-righteous, indignant anger. Pretty difficult to win someone over who is lost that way though. So next time you feel angry with anyone over anything, try doing what I often times fail to do. Maybe you should reach out with the good news, or just walk away instead.