A Thought

“Be angry, and do not sin.  Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the Lord.”  Psalm 4:4,5

It is ok to be angry.  Frankly there is plenty around us to be angry about.  It is important, however, that we recognize anger as the irrational emotional state it often is.  Rarely can we act upon this anger and expect any good to come from our actions.  More often than not, when we act (or react) purely from an emotional state, not only will no good come from our actions but it is likely that what was bad will be made worse!

Like every other raw emotion, however, we are challenged to work through that emotion before we act.  To “be still” is to “be silent” so that our “meditation” can do us some good.  In the stillness of our meditation we move from an irrational state of feeling to a more rational state of being, and this is important for the people of the Lord not only in how we witness to the goodness of our Lord and our hope and trust in Him but so that we may act (if any act is, in fact, necessary) with a right sense of purpose.

Being a Christian is much more than believing Messiah came, and it is more than a way of life.  Being a disciple of Christ Jesus is a state of being; it is the mark and measure of who we are created to be.  We are a people given a purpose, charged with a purpose, and blessed with purpose – all belonging to our Lord.  In the process of sanctification (“going on to perfection”), it is safe to say we all have a very long way to go spiritually before we can depend on instincts, what may feel right in a high emotional state.

The Bible encourages us to “pray without ceasing”.  Clearly this is not strictly a New Testament ideal.  It is for the people of the Lord, and it is for a good, long, and prosperous life in faith.

Blessings,

Michael