Our anger needs to move us to prayer; we ask God to intervene in us and in the situation.

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The protection of our hearts is paramount to godly thoughts and actions. Our inner motivation comes from our thoughts being run through the filter of our hearts. The problem is that our hearts are deceitful and beyond cure (Jeremiah 17:9). We need another filter, one that we can run our thoughts and feelings through as they come out of our hearts. It is….prayer.

You thought I was going to say the Word of God, didn’t you? Actually, God’s Word was given to us so that we can learn how to talk to Him. We learn about Him by reading what He has revealed to us. We can even pray His words back to Him. God’s Word is alive with His Spirit. We are to run to Him in prayer and His Word to know what to do with everything that comes out of our hearts.

Speaking of which, I was asked the other day if Christians could have righteous anger. My reply was based upon James 1:19-21,

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of [reject] all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

We get angry. That’s a fact and inevitability. What we do with that anger is crucial. God wants us to come to Him with that anger. In fact, we are to leave all judgment and wrath to Him (Romans 12:19-20). Instead, we are to humbly accept the Word planted in us through daily reading, study, pondering, and conversation with God as well as other believers. We will find that God wants us to show compassion to people—this does not mean that we are to lie down and let them walk on us. It simply means that we pray for them and seek to show Christ to them even while doling out consequences if that is our job. We should try to help them see the truth about their bad choices.

Even persecution is to be treated this way, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14. It is how we can break through the walls of division and shine our lights.

Today, let’s let everything that comes our way take us to the throne of Grace “with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16.

Abba, today promises to be weird as Robin and I take care of her parents after her dad’s surgery. May we have patient endurance and place their needs above our own. May we keep happy spirits and cheerfully serve as needed. May we treat each other with love and respect, each considering the other above and before himself. May we be Truth in action, Lord, allowing every trial to take us to Your throne for some of that mercy and Grace! Amen.