Colossians 3:8 (NIV)- But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
The word anger is sometimes defined as a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of opposition toward someone or something. Do you know anyone who has never experienced anger? Even the nicest people have been pushed to a place of anger at least once in their lifetime.
There are so many reasons why we get angry including lost of power, disappointment, our ego, not getting our way, and sometimes just because we lost control of something. Resisting the feeling and emotion of anger is not easy. However, one fruit of the spirit is self control. If we are able to activate self control, could we avoid the continued pollution that anger causes?
Have you thought about how anger pollutes us and the world in which we live? Exercising more self control would lead us to choose to respond to offensive words and actions with kindness. Many of us rather be right than kind. Today’s verse is a reminder that we must also rid ourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from our lips. Which will you choose, kindness or anger? I encourage you to read Colossians 3.
Dear God,
Thank you for the reminder that I must rid myself of all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from my lips. I pray that all your children remember that anger is a pollutant. That they must rid themselves of anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. I ask this in your son Jesus’ name. Amen!