Who does your life say you live for?
“Be angry, and do not sin”:
do not let the sun go down on your wrath.
Ephesians 4:26
Few things are more destructive to Christians than anger. Anger causes us to lose our self-control and to say and do things we would otherwise never consider. Anger, if allowed to remain, turns into bitterness that eats away at our hearts. Scripture consistently commands believers to put away anger and lists it as one of the sins of the flesh (Eph. 4:31). At times, we try to defend our anger by citing Ephesians 4:26. As additional proof we argue that Jesus cleansed the temple in “righteous indignation.” Ephesians refers to anger that does not lead to sin. Jesus was capable of being angry without sinning. When Jesus cleared the temple, Scripture does not indicate that He was angry (Matt. 21:12–14; Mark 11:15–18; Luke 19:45–46).
We must be careful not to justify our anger with Scripture. Ephesians 4:31 commands us to put away all anger. That does not mean that we cease to have strong convictions or lose our desire for justice. It does mean we refuse to allow others’ sins to cause us to sin. Anger does not bring about God's redemptive work; far more often it hinders what God is working to accomplish.
If you feel that you have a righteous anger because of something that has happened, see if you are holding anger in your heart without sin. Is your anger turning into bitterness? Is it causing you to speak in an unchristian manner to someone or to gossip about them? Is it causing you to make excuses for your own ungodly behavior? You must examine any anger within you and allow God to remove any sinful attitudes that your anger may have produced. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day
Anger is but one indicator of what's inside a man or woman.
Love is another but a worldly love isn't God's idea of what love is.
Embarrassment is yet another indicator.
Rage is an indicator.
Those are examples of sight, what about examples of sound? Hearing what's inside a man or woman? Yes. What you listen to also tells people who is in you.
What you do is another indicator. What you do when nobody's around is another.
Selfishness or not being selfish is another.
It isn't as simple as just going through the motions in life waiting to die. You are living for someone. Either it's Jesus, if you are a Christian or it's yourself if you are not. Even that isn't an absolute. There are plenty of Christians who live for themselves. There are plenty of non-Christian people who believe that apart from God they can live a good life without all that God stuff.
Anger just seems to be the one indication of uncontrolled output of a soul. It's a dangerous emotion that honestly people cannot control. The only one who can experience it, while retaining wisdom and righteousness is God. We cannot fathom the effects both close to us and farther away when we act out in anger. Anger is but one emotion that has the same effect as a nuclear device. It happens and the effects go on and on. Uncontrolled it's a disaster.
Who we live for determines our behavior in our world and the world around us.
Do we show the world, let alone ourselves, that we live for Jesus or ourselves? Our choices of car or house do not. Our choices of speech, conduct and appearance do. Our musical tastes. What we listen to, who we listen to, tell the world and if we are willing to hear it, ourselves just who it is we are in this world for. Our choices of books and movies. Television shows. What the world calls comedy, would we remotely think that Jesus would call it funny? Would we ever consider our speech acceptable if we physically had Jesus standing there.
What you surround yourself with speaks to who you are living for. Are the things of God important to you? If not, why not? Is the world's idea of fun more important than what God thinks to you? As Disciples, the 12 had their values challenged and changed.
If you are a Disciple of Christ you SHOULD be having your values of what's important challenged and changed.
You ought not love the world nor the things in the world. Do you?
How is loving the world or the things in this world going to help you as you stand before Christ?
Who is your life showing that you live for?
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