“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Neither give place to the devil.”
Ephesians 4:26-27, KJV
Be angry but do not sin. Although the ocean is a world in itself, it has a major attribute or quality that it does not generate in itself: the garbage, dead animals, and other useless things. While I was in Colombo, Sri Lanka, I was sitting on a beach of the Indian Ocean. I saw broken pieces of boats, and smelled the odor of rotting ropes because of the water. Many small pieces of sea shells were scattered on the shore and I was thinking that a shell with a precious pearl never comes on the beach. Those shells are always found in the depths of the ocean.
This principle of nature teaches us how very essential it is to keep the precious pearls in and get rid of the unnecessary and useless things. Be angry but do not sin. Apparently, many of us look very peaceful and content but sometime there is an ocean in us which is raging. We keep a whole world in our inner-being which the people around us cannot see, but we know all about it. Sometimes this inner ocean becomes calm and peaceful and sometimes, due to opposition, failure, anger, hatred, lack of interest, hopelessness and mental tension and conflicts a storm rages there.
What beautiful advice Saint Paul gives us: “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.”
The Word of God provides us with an excellent principle for our goodness and betterment. It is a natural phenomenon to be angry on any negative issue, but its negative expression puts it into the category of sin. That is why it is said, “Be ye angry, and sin not.’’ Be angry and not sin meaning.
It is in our control that we may keep anger in our heart, or pull it out as a bitter seed so that bitter fruit should not be produced.
Let us see these two verses of Ephesians chapter four, for our instruction and guidance.
Let not the sun go down:
In order to bring our lives onto the right track and solve our issues of anger, bitterness, friction, and disagreements, God does not ask us to wait our whole life.
Once, one of our dear friends got seriously ill. Due to his sickness, he was very fragile and weak. Doctors could not diagnose his disease. During this time he contacted his younger brother, whom he had not met for many years due to family conflicts. Our dear friend, in a very painful and tearful voice said to his younger brother, “Brother, will you come at the time when I will be gone from this world?”
When the younger brother heard about the life-threatening disease of his elder brother, the very next day he traveled from another city and came to see him. Once again their relationship was restored. Their conflict was washed away with the tears of their eyes. But it is very sad; they just got a short time to enjoy this restored relationship and fellowship, to live in peace, love and harmony, to express their love for one another. After one month the elder brother passed away.
Why do we wait for death to forgive one another, to get rid of our anger and restore our relationships?
It is written in the Psalms:
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
Psalm 133:1
Dear friends, while living in this world, the real brothers and sisters, even those who believe in Lord Jesus Christ and become spiritual brothers and sisters, do not automatically start living together in harmony. If this could be the case, then there would not be any party spirit, division, hatred, judgment and disunity. Even the Christian family could have been protected from such negative elements.
The Holy word of God has advised us, “to dwell together in unity.”
Along with this advice we see a commandment. It does not take place automatically, but we have to do it, otherwise this verse might have been like this… “Brethren dwell together in unity,” or “brethren are dwelling together in unity.”
We cannot live alone on an island; society comes into existence when people live together, but one person who lives aloof from society cannot survive. God has made us in such fashion that we cannot survive apart from one another. We need each other.
When we live together, it is very normal and common to hurt one another. God has warned us through his servant Paul that our anger should not stay for a lifetime, not for a year, not for a month, not for a week and even not for a night. To settle the issue he said, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.’’
May the Lord help us to understand this law of nature, and with the help of stormy waves and thoughts, may we pluck out all the negative issues, anger, and wrath.
Let not …upon your wrath:
“…to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand”
Micah 2:1
Dear friends, to keep anger and wrath in your heart and not look for its remedy, can be dangerous for another person, but it is the most dangerous to us ourselves. Due to not forgiving others and keeping the anger in our hearts, we harm ourselves the most. High blood pressure, depression, lack of confidence, mental tension, irritation, and other mental disorders can develop due to keeping these iniquities. They do not harm another, they only harm our own body, along with our mental development. Our creative powers and our esthetic senses can become poor and dim. So without any further delay, quickly pluck out the seeds of anger and wrath, otherwise the damage will be keep on growing.
Neither give place to the devil:
This is not advice, it is a commandment. It is in our control to give or not to give a place to devil in our minds and bodies. It is true that the devil also interfere in our lives by force. But God, who has total authority and owns the whole universe, puts restriction on the devil.
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but spare his life”
Job 2:6
Now God gave permission to the devil to interfere in the life of Job, but it does not mean that God left his servant Job alone. Sometimes God provides a limited opportunity for the devil to try us and, by this test, God by His grace strengthens our faith. After God’s authority, we too have control or authority to give the devil a place, or not.
It is very sad that when we take the anger and wrath with us to our bed, our thoughts form a plan and early in the morning we try to put them into practice because we have the authority over our thoughts. Be angry and do not sin. As a result, our negative actions turn our anger into sin.
My dear friends, the end of this year and the beginning of a New Year gives us an excellent and golden opportunity from God to solve our issues. On December 31, the sun will set as usual. Then the sun of January 1, 2018 will rise. The year will be changed, the date will be changed.
But if we do not change, then what is the difference if days, months, and years change? The sun of the first day of the year New Year will be filled with bitterness, like the days of the past.
Have mercy on yourself. Be gracious to your own self; right now forget your bitterness, anger and wrath. Enter into the New Year with a spirit of love and reconciliation. Do not wait for the sun to go down. Don’t wait for the beginning of the New Year. Overcome your “self”—your ego—because the time is very limited. We do not know if in the next moment our loved ones, or we, will be alive or not so take good care of this time. Time is precious; restore your relationships.
May the Lord bless you and make the New Year pleasant and fruitful for you. May the Lord grant the New Year a crown of His joy and goodness.
“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness”
Psalm 65:11
Happy New Year.
Blessings.
Pastor Robinson Samuel Gill