God is slow to anger, but what does that mean? God’s anger, unlike our anger, is motivated by righteousness. Human anger often results in abuse, violence, and hurt, but God’s anger is not irrational or spontaneous. His anger is righteous indignation and the end of indifference, in contrast to our own reckless spite. For instance, in the Old Testament, God expressed his anger against a sinful Israel and gave Israel over to its enemies only after having given grace repeatedly. God’s anger is consistently depicted as giving the wayward their due consequences, but His slowness in anger graciously gives time to repent.

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed the negative impacts of anger and the importance of self-control. When anger takes hold of a community, as it did in Ephesus, it leads to gossip, sin, and ultimately division. Self-control, as a fruit of the Spirit, counteracts this by enabling us to step back and exercise patience instead of reacting in anger, fostering love and humility. Additionally, it encourages us to step into conflict when necessary to maintain unity and peace, ultimately benefiting relationships and communities by demonstrating God’s love in action.

As we continue our series on eliminating anger, we peer into an often overlooked but paramount imperative from Paul in his letter to the church of Ephesus: to not allow the devil a foothold in your anger. When we harbor anger in our hearts and minds, it is akin to inviting spiritual and emotional garbage in our lives - and where garbage lies, pests reside. It’s when our lifestyles exhibit unresolved sins such as bitterness, anger, and rage, the consequences not only wreak havoc on our own lives but onto generations beyond ours. The challenge is to be wary of the unresolved sins in our lives, to repent and confess swiftly so that anger takes no hold in our hearts, and to fill our lives with kindness and compassion to curb the spiritual and emotional baggage that could thwart the work of God in us and through us.