God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
Four wrong ways to deal with anger:
1. Repress. Hold it in, ignore, deny, push it under, stuff it.
a. Internally. Seethe with bitterness, jealousy, etc.
b. Externally. The “silent treatment” (Eph. 4:26).
2. Express. “Dump it;” “get it off your chest.”
a. Direct expression. Explode. Blow up (Gal. 5:20; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:29; Prov. 29:11; Prov. 29:22; Eccl. 7:9).
b. Indirect expression. “I’ll get even” (Lev. 19:18; Rom. 12:19).
c. Substitutionary expression. “Ventilation.”
3. Digress. Turn aside. Get your mind off of it.
4. Profess to be powerless. Make excuses. Disclaim responsibility.
When it comes to fighting for Christ’s cause, the only sword we should be wielding is: Ephesians 6:17, “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Our offensive weapon is the Bible. We don’t swing it broadly like Peter. We handle it with precision. We apply and share specific verses to specific situations as Jesus demonstrated when temped in the wilderness. The power is in the Word of God “for [only] the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). This is how we advance our Lord’s kingdom unlike the world and many religions today.
