Married men: don’t pretend to have a glowing testimony in the church when you have wicked outbursts of anger against your wife. Don’t try to hide it or justify it, but rather confess it and put it to death.
You know the thing about this bad anger? It’s especially a problem for men. Men, you explode, you shout, you scream. You profess to be a Christian, but just let your wife do something that doesn’t sit right with you: burn the toast. She doesn’t agree with you. Her conduct isn’t just exactly what you want. A lot of men ready to fly off the handle; verbally abuse their poor wife. If you’re a man who’s angry, hot-tempered, you bark at your wife, you lash her with your tongue, but then you walk into this building. You put on a smile like the holy aura is around you. And your wife knows you were just talking to her on the way here in a certain way, or you dealt with her last night in a certain way. Not only do your wife and children know you’re a fake, all the more the Lord knows. And Paul is saying put it off. It doesn’t work to say, “well, you know, I’m just that way.” “I’m naturally hot-headed.” Paul’s saying quit that. Quit acting that way. What you are at home is what you are for real. What you are when you walk in here, that’s not the test. What you are at home, that’s where the real you is. You come into the church and you have this glowing testimony, but you know your wife walks on pins and needles never knowing what’s going to set you off. And there you are out there and you’re sitting there next to the very wife that you’ve blown up at. And she knows right now I’m talking about you. And you’re uncomfortable – I know it. You really don’t want to look over at her right now. But hear me. Don’t run. Don’t hide. Confront this ugly thing head on. You want to be angry about something? Be angry about your anger.
Excerpt is taken from the full sermon, “Good Anger and Bad Anger“.
