Daily Devotional
Is It Ever Okay to Be Angry?
“And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.”
Mark 3:5
December 5, 2021
Ponder This
Jesus was moved with anger that was righteous. You can be angry without sin, for Jesus Christ was without sin. It is possible to be good…and mad. As a matter of fact, if some things don’t move you to anger, there’s something wrong. Do you know what moved Jesus to anger? It was the attitude of the Pharisees toward the poor, paralyzed man. The man had a deep need, but the Pharisees were filled with selfishness, pride, and arrogance. What did they have against Jesus? Their problem was not theological; it was personal. Prior to the coming of Jesus, all the people were bragging on the Pharisees and following them. They occupied the chief places previously, but now the crowds were going after Jesus. The Pharisees were filled with rotten envy, selfishness, and pride, and they didn’t care for people that were hurting. The Pharisees' hearts had grown cold.
- What are some things we might have righteous anger over in the world today?
- How can this type of anger motivate us to respond in a godly way as it did Jesus?
Practice This
Name some situations in which the appropriate response might be righteous anger. Describe how you can have righteous anger that leads to God-honoring action in those situations.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
