I was watching television in the hospital room as my friend slept last week. She had turned on one of the all-day news channels and as it moved from one story to another I noticed a recurring theme. Anger. Those interviewing and those being interviewed were angry. The videos being shown were of angry mobs, protestors, demonstrators, criminals and crime victims, etc. It seems everyone was angry about something.
I think it interesting that anger is one of the first emotions to show up in the Bible. First, of course, was the fear displayed by Adam and Eve when they sinned and hid from God. But it isn’t very long before anger enters the heart of their firstborn, Cain.
Cain and his brother Abel bring their offerings to the Lord. God looks with favor on Abel’s, but does not look with favor on Cain’s. Suddenly, Cain is angry. When he displays his anger, God calls him on it and gives him a warning. “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.’” [Gen 4:6-7 NIV]
Simply said, “No point in getting angry, just do what is right.” Cain did not learn that lesson and ended up blaming his brother for his problems, then killing him. I think humans have not learned a whole lot since then. We still get angry, and we still don’t always do what is right, and we are still pretty good at blaming others for our problems.
Oh Lord, help us to do what is right. Help us to master sin’s desires for us through the power and anointing of Your Holy Spirit. Amen
