Anger, mercy and forgiveness
Micah 7:18 "Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy."
This verse describes the nature of God when it comes to anger, mercy and forgiveness. I think we tend to chastise ourselves when we get angry with something or someone. We have decided that anger is not a "Christian" reaction, and we feel we should rid ourselves of all anger in our lives in the same way we want to completely rid our lives of sin.
There are many examples, in both the Old and New Testament, of God becoming angry and displaying that anger. When it happens, you don't read about God walking away and engaging in some form of self-talk counseling, reminding Himself that anger is "Un-Christian".
It is what you do next that is the differentiator. Hanging onto, even reveling in your anger, is quite "Un-Christian". Plotting revenge or breaking relationship with someone you are angry with is not what the Bible teaches, either. "Delight to show mercy" is the stance we should move toward. Let anger run its course, but then move quickly and joyfully toward mercy and forgiveness. Mercy and forgiveness are not the same as saying the action or the circumstances that led to your anger are okay. It doesn't dismiss the action as if it wasn't a big deal, or that you overreacted by becoming angry. (Sometimes this is the case, and we need to recognize when it is so.)
Mercy and forgiveness are for the person, not the action. When God forgives us, He doesn't say our sin was okay, or that He overreacted by becoming angry with us. That would be more of an apology for a wrong reaction on His part than it would be forgiveness of us. Instead, He says, "What you did was wrong, and it made me angry. But I am separating the action from the person, and I choose to show you mercy and to forgive you."
May we all strive to emulate the character of God, and delight in moving past anger to a state of mercy and forgiveness.
This verse describes the nature of God when it comes to anger, mercy and forgiveness. I think we tend to chastise ourselves when we get angry with something or someone. We have decided that anger is not a "Christian" reaction, and we feel we should rid ourselves of all anger in our lives in the same way we want to completely rid our lives of sin.
There are many examples, in both the Old and New Testament, of God becoming angry and displaying that anger. When it happens, you don't read about God walking away and engaging in some form of self-talk counseling, reminding Himself that anger is "Un-Christian".
It is what you do next that is the differentiator. Hanging onto, even reveling in your anger, is quite "Un-Christian". Plotting revenge or breaking relationship with someone you are angry with is not what the Bible teaches, either. "Delight to show mercy" is the stance we should move toward. Let anger run its course, but then move quickly and joyfully toward mercy and forgiveness. Mercy and forgiveness are not the same as saying the action or the circumstances that led to your anger are okay. It doesn't dismiss the action as if it wasn't a big deal, or that you overreacted by becoming angry. (Sometimes this is the case, and we need to recognize when it is so.)
Mercy and forgiveness are for the person, not the action. When God forgives us, He doesn't say our sin was okay, or that He overreacted by becoming angry with us. That would be more of an apology for a wrong reaction on His part than it would be forgiveness of us. Instead, He says, "What you did was wrong, and it made me angry. But I am separating the action from the person, and I choose to show you mercy and to forgive you."
May we all strive to emulate the character of God, and delight in moving past anger to a state of mercy and forgiveness.
posted by Robert Jory Allen at
10:40 AM
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