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02
Jan '18

Master Your Anger

Posted on Jan 2, 2018 in Devotions | Tags: ,

02
Jan '18

And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (Genesis 4:6-7)

The classic story of Cain and Abel unfolds in Genesis chapter four. Two brothers (from the real first family) each presented the Lord with their offerings. Cain offered the Lord fruit and Abel offered a first-born from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. Cain became angry and jealous of his brother’s favor with the Lord. Today’s verses give us insight as to how the Lord responded to Cain’s anger. In essence, He warned Cain to be careful because sin was lying in wait for him. The Lord was giving Cain a choice to let it go, try again and be accepted, or to give in and allow sin to control him. Cain chose the latter option, which resulted in him killing his brother Abel and running from the Lord for the rest of his life.  Sin did come to control him as the Lord warned!

Has anger ever led you to do things you would later regret? Has jealousy or envy stirred you to the point of sinning against someone close to you? These sins will eventually lead to destruction, unless we stop them from taking control of us. We must all take notice of the Lord’s advice and beware of the sin that lies at our door. Sin leads to death if left to its own desires. If we allow sin to rule over us, then our actions will result in serious consequences. The Lord gives us this warning as a reminder that we “should rule over it.” As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit who will make us aware of these dangers and will lead us away from dangerous temptations. He will help us to “rule over sin.”

No one is immune to the emotions involving jealousy, envy or covetousness. But even if we are tempted with them, we do not have to be ruled or mastered by them. When we find ourselves in a situation that stirs these types of feelings or thoughts, we must start praying immediately. We must confess our thoughts to the Lord and be honest with Him, then ask Him to help us to let go of them. When we turn those things over to the Lord, He will give us the strength through His Spirit to turn the tables and rule over them. Left on its own, sin destroys. Do not give in to its desires. Listen to the Lord and let Him be your Master.
 
What truth! When I read this the part that stood out to me was when it read, no one is immune to the emotions involving jealousy, envy or covetousness. We have all struggled with this at one point or another in our lives and it’s okay to admit that, what matters is what we do once we have acknowledged our weakness in one or all of these areas. What hope we have in Christ, when we go to Him open and honest, the Bible says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). We must turn to The Lord to help us overcome these emotions but we must remember, it doesn’t stop there, it’s also important for us to remember forgiveness, forgiveness of ones self or if we have been hurt by jealousy, envy or covetousness. Today, let’s strive to be better and forgive. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin . . . (2 Chronicles 7:14). Master your anger by looking to The Master, He will never fail you. 

Have a beautiful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Galatians 5:19-21