Articles
"Be Angry and Yet Do Not Sin"
Did you know that David once nearly committed mass murder?
As young David and his men took refuge in the wilderness, they helped the locals by providing security for shepherds and their flocks. Among those who benefited was a wealthy flock owner named Nabal. At sheep shearing time (traditionally a time of celebration and generosity), David sent men to ask Nabal for provisions. Nabal rudely refused, dismissing David as a stranger and a malcontent. David was enraged. He ordered his men to strap on their swords, intending to kill every male of Nabal’s household (1 Samuel 25:22).
Fortunately, Nabal’s wife graciously intervened and persuaded David to change his mind. If she hadn’t, David—one known as a man after God’s own heart—would be known as a man who slaughtered innocent people over a personal insult.
This little story reminds us that anger can be a dangerous emotion. Once triggered, it can cloud our judgment, overrule our reason, and shout down the voice of our conscience. It can produce bitter hearts, vile words, hostile actions, and spiritual defilement. No wonder God tells us to keep it on a tight leash.
“Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity” (Ephesians 4:26-27). “But everyone must be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).
