Two boys were playing, and getting along very well it seemed.  But then, in an instant something happened that changed their moods.  The boys stood to their feet yelling angry words as they stomped, snorted, and threatened each other, then the two angry friends turned and ran off to their own homes.

            Once inside the first boy, Billy, went to his mother about what had happened.  She listened, respectful of the feelings of two boys who had fought over something so petty in comparison to other problems in the world.  The two boys had been best friends and now that relationship seemed broken.  With tears in his eyes Billy looked up to his mother and said, “Mom, I don’t know what to do!” 

            The mother now had her turn to speak.  She could think of no better advice than what is found in Ephesians 4:26-27, “’BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN’:  do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

            This was excellent advice, and Billy thought about it for a moment then asked his mother, “But Mom, how can I keep the sun up?”  I guess he needed more time to get over his wrath.

            We all have times when we get mad and in our wrath we spew forth words and deeds that are destructive and painful to others physically, emotionally, and mentally.  It seems that there are times we just can’t help it.  Some have become so full of rage and angry inside that we have invented “Anger Management” classes.  I’m not picking on these because anything that can aid us in controlling anger and wrath is a good thing.

            There are three Greek words used for “wrath” in the New Testament.  The first is as found in Galatians 5:20, which is a listing of sins herein called “the works of the flesh” (verse 19).  The Greek word means “fierceness, or a passionate indignation – as if breathing hard.”  The second is as found in Ephesians 6:4, which talks about fathers provoking their children to wrath.  The Greek word means “to enrage.”  The third word used in the New Testament for wrath is as found in our text, Ephesians 4:27 and the word literally means “violent passion.” 

            With this in mind along with the knowledge that we all sometimes are pushed into becoming angry and wrathful, the question should be asked, “If it is a natural response why is it a sin?”  It is because it stirs up a variety of emotions and feelings towards the other person.  First it causes pain to others.  Some of these reactions are:  hatred, strife, pain, suffering, divorce, war, murders and beatings.  It also causes pain to us in that wrath is a negative emotion related to stress, worry, and fear.  All of these, if left to fester, can harm us physically.  I heard a story once about a man who had been angry at a brother in their church for many years.  They both were on the deacon board, but they rarely spoke to each other, even sitting on opposite sides in the sanctuary.  The one man, over the years, had developed a terrible arthritic condition, so bad that his fingers drew in nearly making a fist and all of his joints brought so much pain that he could barely walk and get around.

            One day this man was reading in the scripture and he stumbled on to these verses in Ephesians 4:26-27.  He realized as he read that he had been angry with his brother in Christ for so many years he had nearly forgotten what their difference had been over.  He bowed his head right there in his home and asked God to forgive him.  He spent time in prayer that day and before it came to a close he knew he had forgiven this man and he called him to ask forgiveness as well.

            The next morning when he arose from his bed he noticed that it was with much less difficulty than it had been before.  He stretched and gave out a yawn as he shook himself from his sleep and as he stretched he saw his fingers reaching toward heaven.  A miracle had happened in the night.  Because he settled the matter with the other brother his disease was minimized as if it had never been there at all and he realized that this particular sickness had been brought on by his wrath.  That isn’t to say that all sickness is caused by wrath, but some of it is.  Some arthritic situations are physical and I am not trying to say that if you suffer from something like this that it is because you are harboring wrath.  I am just saying that sometimes this can be the case.

            Think about it seriously, and if you have differences with others settle the matter today before the sun goes down.  You’ll be glad you did and the sin of wrath won’t fester and grow within you.  Don’t let the sun descend before you clear things up and you just might see a miracle in your own life.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.