Greetings brethren and Happy Sabbath!  There will be a potluck tomorrow in all three congregations.  In addition, we will have our Sermon Discussion in both Charlotte and Hickory tomorrow.

You buffoon!

Has anyway ever called you a name or said something that just immediately sparked you to anger?  How did you handle it?  Chances are, you probably can recall instances when you handled it both poorly and well.

But have you ever thought about what anger’s purpose is?  It is an emotion God created in us, and God Himself gets angry at times.  So is it wrong to get angry?

Temper, temper…

Like most emotions, the key comes in our management of anger.  What does our anger lead us to do?  Say something to one-up someone else’s insults, only to create sin for ourselves?

That’s probably the most common reaction - letting anger lead us to sin.  But as I’m sure we all know, scripture tells us, “Be angry, and do not sin.” (Psalm 4:4, Ephesians 4:26).  Great advice, but how do we do that?

Understanding the purpose of anger

The key to avoiding sinning from anger is understanding its purpose.  It does indeed have a purpose, and there are times when we should be angry.  When we understand that, we can better deal with anger, as well as avoid sin.

In tomorrow’s sermon (and sermon discussion) in Charlotte and Hickory (and in Columbia next week), I look forward to discussing the purpose of anger, and just how we can manage this emotion properly!