SCRIPTURE: 1 Samuel 11
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger. [1 Samuel 11:6] Anger is a burning fire, to be handled with care. In this messed up world, anger is unavoidable, there are many things that ought to make us angry. I’ve experienced times when, like Saul, I burned with anger because of something that was just not right! Makes me think of Jesus: To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” [John 2:16-17]

Righteous anger is good and necessary. When we hear about abuse, neglect, cruelty, injustice, corruption, senseless violence or vandalism, something burns within. Recently thieves stole a trailer filled with toys donated for needy kids for Christmas. In the news we hear about government consultants paid outrageous sums of money, as well as unbelievable waste of tax-payers dollars. So many examples everyday that cause us to burn with anger. I believe that the Spirit of God does play a role in this. The Spirit of God is the expression of the heart of God, and God is justly angry about the horrible things that happen in this messed up world. Both Saul and Jesus were justified in their righteous anger, in this situations.

But isn’t anger dangerous? Two warnings, from my experience, when looking at the anger in my heart: (1) Check for selfishness. When angry, I have sensed that hidden within my anger is a selfish piece. The test here is whether I am equally angry if I hadn’t been hurt? Do I burn with angry when it happens to others, or just when it affects me? (2) Check for hypocrisy. Am I guilty of doing the same kind of thing, in subtly different ways, as those I am angry with? Am I mad when others cheat people, but I have my own creative ways of cheating others. Am I angry when others lie, yet I also twist the truth to my own advantage?

In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent [Psalm 4:4, also Ephesians 4:26]. We need to search our hearts carefully. We will always find some evidence of self-centeredness and hypocrisy; this should not stop us from addressing the wrong, but it should lead us to do so humbly, admitting our own failure and committing to changing ourselves, as much as expecting others to change. The Spirit is working against all injustice and cruelty and selfishness – in us and around us – and we do our part by striving with His help to change it in us, as well as prophetically speaking and working against it around us.

PRAYER:
Lord, as I burn for justice and truth, burn away selfishness and hyprocisy!