The 180 Church Podcast with Dr. Sammy and Friends

Pettiness, in addition to dealing damage in our relationships, is a symptom of our humanity. We have a propensity towards pettiness because of our self-interest, and we must recognize that we cannot completely eliminate the temptation to strike back when we feel wronged. However, in Ephesians 4, Paul reminds us that there is something greater to desire than what pettiness can give us, and that is new life through Christ. If our aim is no higher than to put on the appearance of spirituality, then we can sit still and give in to our defaults. But if our aim is to live fully for Christ and experience the love, trust, and joy of relationship with Him, then we must surrender the old ways of pettiness and allow the work of God to transform us.

God is slow to anger, but what does that mean? God’s anger, unlike our anger, is motivated by righteousness. Human anger often results in abuse, violence, and hurt, but God’s anger is not irrational or spontaneous. His anger is righteous indignation and the end of indifference, in contrast to our own reckless spite. For instance, in the Old Testament, God expressed his anger against a sinful Israel and gave Israel over to its enemies only after having given grace repeatedly. God’s anger is consistently depicted as giving the wayward their due consequences, but His slowness in anger graciously gives time to repent.

Over the past few weeks, we have discussed the negative impacts of anger and the importance of self-control. When anger takes hold of a community, as it did in Ephesus, it leads to gossip, sin, and ultimately division. Self-control, as a fruit of the Spirit, counteracts this by enabling us to step back and exercise patience instead of reacting in anger, fostering love and humility. Additionally, it encourages us to step into conflict when necessary to maintain unity and peace, ultimately benefiting relationships and communities by demonstrating God’s love in action.

As we continue our series on eliminating anger, we peer into an often overlooked but paramount imperative from Paul in his letter to the church of Ephesus: to not allow the devil a foothold in your anger. When we harbor anger in our hearts and minds, it is akin to inviting spiritual and emotional garbage in our lives - and where garbage lies, pests reside. It’s when our lifestyles exhibit unresolved sins such as bitterness, anger, and rage, the consequences not only wreak havoc on our own lives but onto generations beyond ours. The challenge is to be wary of the unresolved sins in our lives, to repent and confess swiftly so that anger takes no hold in our hearts, and to fill our lives with kindness and compassion to curb the spiritual and emotional baggage that could thwart the work of God in us and through us.

In his letters to the Corinthians, Paul warns the church against letting the thorns in our side go unchecked. These "thorns," such as insecurities or things that trigger our anger, can lead to pride, a superiority complex, and ultimately the destruction of our relationships. Instead of giving in to our thorns, Paul shows us that admitting our insufficiency allows us to truly accept God's grace and strength. Even though it may feel offensive to acknowledge our own weakness, it is in doing so that we become testaments to God's character and the power of community.

Anger can destroy relationships. Many instances of abuse and misunderstanding result from us internalizing our anger rather than resolving it with those around us. In Ephesians 4, Paul urges us to resolve our anger before the day ends. Anger is based on judgment and righteousness, and when we choose to be slow to anger, we can better assess why we are angry. However, allowing our anger to surpass the day deteriorates the accuracy of our judgment. Human memory is fallible, and unresolved anger centers righteousness on our faulty selves rather than the true reason for conflict.

Anger is dangerous. When we get angry, we may hurt others and damage relationships, whether it's through bitterness, passive aggressiveness, verbal abuse, or violence. We can't control our anger, but we can respond to it better. This starts from admitting that we are responsible for our anger, and that, as Paul warns us in Ephesians, anger can lead to sin. Then, after recognizing this as a concern, we can turn to the Lord to find healing and peace. 

This Sunday’s remote service continues the series on resilience by renowned Christian author and counselor John Eldredge. In this session, Eldredge defines resilience as the dividing line between those who overcome the challenges of a Christian life and those who do not. He describes the times we live in as dangerous, making it easy to feel discouraged. However, to build resilience, Jesus offers himself as a resource to dwell within us, give us a new heart, and remind us of God’s glory and splendor.

This Sunday’s remote service welcomes renowned Christian author and counselor, John Eldredge. On the topic of resilience, John invites us to look to the parable of the ten bridesmaids so we can learn to develop a practice of tapping into a reserve of strength that comes only from the Father. In the relentless madness of our times, though we rally over and over, there may come a time when we hit a wall and have nothing left to give. When we are fully depleted, it is important for us to come back to Christ to be restored in our strength, and return to the Father’s heart that breathes life into His children.

Many of us who grew up in the relative peace of 21st-century Western society are often naive and ill-prepared when faced with the realities of war. This is just as true when it comes to spiritual warfare. We become easily discouraged and fall into the trap of asking why, instead of donning the armor of God and fighting against the enemy's treachery with truth and faith. The reality is that there is an ongoing spiritual battle, and we must learn to expect the enemy's schemes to sabotage God's good work. But the good news is that although resistance is inevitable in this world, Jesus tells us to take heart, for He has overcome the world.