Wanting To Do The Right Thing
“…do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4: 26-27 NKJV).
I don’t like conflict. Some might read that and believe that I avoid conflict at all costs. But I’m actually the opposite. I want to resolve conflict at all costs.
Because of that, I feel the pull to hash things out all night long if I have to. I want to make sure I don’t go to sleep with that conflict still there.
But that’s not what the above verse means. If I’m frustrated and have wrath, hashing it out doesn’t remove my wrath.
In fact, it adds fuel to the fire. Wrath times conversation equals giving place to the devil.
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1 NKJV).
If you sin, confess it. And feel the joy of being a forgiven sinner. And if you see someone else sin, it’s good to restore them. But as the text says, you must be “spiritual” (that is, of the Holy Spirit) and you must restore them in a “spirit of gentleness.” If you don’t have that, you’ll be tempted to get sucked into the sin yourself. Which won’t help anything.
If you tend to avoid conflict, you should speak up. Maybe you already have a spirit of gentleness that would bless others.
If you tend to resolve conflict with wrath, don’t speak up. Using wrath gives place to the devil and makes things so much worse. In the short term, it might feel like people are listening and seeing things how you see them. But are they doing it because you are browbeating them or because they believe it for themselves? You might be able to use wrath to make someone do the right thing, but you need a spirit of gentleness for them to want to do the right thing.
What do you think?
Joseph