Psalm 37:5-9

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.” vs. 8

As the psalmist proceeds with words of advice for people living in contentious times he mentions wrath, another of the seven deadly sins catalogued by the early church. In his mind it’s closely related to anger, a feeling that comes to the best of us from time to time. We might say that wrath is anger run amok, those moments when we want nothing more than to wreak vengeance on someone who has done us wrong or who dares to disagree with us. Those feelings come without warning in moments of stress and we’re hard-pressed to avoid acting out. What we call “road rage” is a perfect example of anger boiling over into wrath. Sadly this kind of behavior has seemed to occur rather frequently in recent years, particularly as what is called “civility” has gone into decline. Sometimes we call it “righteous indignation” but more often it can be categorized as “getting mad and getting even.” The problem with such behavior is that it only escalates and, as the psalmist says, “leads only to evil.” Can we live in another way? Of course! While feelings of anger are bound to come, the Holy Spirit of God gives power to replace anger with love, and bring peace to our minds.

Thought for the Day: What happens when my anger boils over?