Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 20:30
Saul, King of Israel, was on a downhill slide. He had stopped obeying God. Therefore, God had chosen David to become King in place of Saul. Saul wasn’t happy
about God’s decision.
Because David honored and obeyed God, God caused all David did to succeed, including David’s friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathon. Saul became jealous of David’s success.
Then, Saul’s jealousy over David’s success turned into anger. This anger – rage, actually – was directed at Saul’s son, Jonathon. Jonathon had done nothing wrong. There was no reason for Saul to be angry with him, but still Saul lashed out and verbally attacked his son.
1 Samuel 20:30, Saul took his anger out on Jonathon saying, “Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you?”
When anger is directed at an innocent person, it becomes sin. When anger is directed at someone other than the person who has earned it, it becomes sin. When an angry person reacts to his feelings of anger by verbally or physical harming someone, the anger has become sin.
How do you act when you become angry? Do you deal with the source of the problem firmly yet compassionately or do you act like Saul and verbally (or even physically) attack the first person to walk into the room?
“‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26, 27
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to learn to control my temper and appropriately direct my anger. In Jesus’ name. Amen.