Seeing God's Grace in My Anger

Disclaimer: This is a very personal sharing...just ignore it if you want ;)

"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry"
Ephesians 4:26

This was the first verse that popped into my mind this evening. (Read Psalm 4 if you want :))

I'm not a person that can easily demonstrate honesty in my feelings. Based on past comments and "things that I hear from people," I've actually grown to be quite reluctant to honestly tell people how I felt, especially when the feelings are negative.

Lately I've been a little stressed out, not completely sure of why exactly, but my temper has been fluctuating a lot. I blame it on school work :P (excuses...). Deep inside I know there's something that's been bothering me, and maybe this is God's sign for me to take that extra step?

This last semester of undergrad has been a season of learning forgiveness and reconciliation for me personally. God has been challenging me the thought of not holding back and postponing honesty. It's interesting how this verse is presented in chapter 4 of Ephesians, right after 3 chapters of theologically focused, emphasizing NT doctrines. Like always, Paul likes to sandwich in practicality within his letters. This verse was right on talking about Christian behavior, especially in the context of "the Christian's Walk (NASB)/Living as Children of Light (NIV)."

This verse kept ringing in my head when I was upset, first I didn't know why. Later on, I realized that the anger mentioned in this passage is - bitterness. I felt bitter...not only about one thing, but many. So, I guess I decided to be honest, and tell the person of how I felt. In particular, this act is not to condemn in any way, but to be vulnerable to criticisms, gossips of my act, and you know...all that which potentially comes along with this "foolish" act. After that, I felt a sense of peace in my heart. This allowed me not to idolize bitterness. A tiny dose of bitterness can grow in hostility, and you know how bad that can become.

This whole little episode in my life reminded me of God's grace. God is always so patient with us. We make mistakes, we fail, yet He continues to love us, teach us and to show us how we can grow. This was the very question that DO asked us during committee sharing: In what area of your life or leadership you struggle to live in grace? Or what role does grace play in your life?

A great question to ask oneself as a central feature of gospel-centered living is living a life defined by grace as opposed to living a life defined work :) - How does grace play a role in your life?