Listen

Let go of anger and leave rage behind! Don’t get upset—it will only lead to evil.

Because evildoers will be eliminated, but those who hope in the Lord— they will possess the land.

In just a little while the wicked won’t exist! If you go looking around their place, they won’t be there.

But the weak will inherit the land; they will enjoy a surplus of peace.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their refuge in times of trouble.

The Lord will help them and rescue them— rescue them from the wicked—and he will save them because they have taken refuge in him.

Psalm 37:8-11, 39-40

Think

Anger can be a challenging emotion. On one hand, it can help us to move to action. Righteous anger fuels movements of change, which is an act of love. On the other hand, it can consume us, turn us inward, and destroy our hope of resolution. It can cause pain to others. Anger in itself really isn’t good or bad; it is how we use it to interact with the world.

This psalm calls out the use of anger that is at work in the second case: the type of anger that destroys – the kind of anger that is working against God’s kingdom in the world.

Can you identify times when you’ve struggled with anger? How did you use that emotion to interact with the world?

Sarah Karber

Pray

Lord, help my anger move me to acts of justice and love, and let me let go of the kind of anger that isn’t in line with your kingdom.

Amen.

Go

Everyone is worthy of love.

I am worthy of love.