Today’s reading is Ephesians 3:1-4:32.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let he sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Many of us learned the #1 rule of dysfunction as we grew up.

RULE #1: Don’t Feel

Few of our parents meant to teach us this rule, but it gets passed on pretty often. Perhaps we gathered that the only legitimate feelings were our parents’ feelings. If we didn’t feel as they did about things we were punished, scorned, belittled, lectured, yelled at. We learned quickly to get rid of those feelings. Even in churches this rule gets passed on. Almost without thinking the rule is taught that Christians are supposed to always feel great. “How are you doing?” we ask someone. “Great!” the other says. “Couldn’t be better,” another says. “God’s blessing my socks off,” says a third. We wonder what is wrong with us for feeling lousy, angry, sad, hurt. But we refuse to let them see our supposedly unChristlike feelings.

But wait. Look again at what Paul says. He doesn’t say, “Don’t be angry, it is a sin.” He says, “Be angry and do not sin.” Anger is not a sin. It is simply an emotion. Anger happens. So does sadness. So does hurt. So does fear. So does regret. So does guilt. So does shame. These feelings are not sins. We don’t have to hide them. Certainly, none of these feelings is a justification for sin. Just because I’m afraid, hurt, sad, or angry doesn’t mean I get to yell at my wife and kids, calling them names, beating them. That would be sin. But the feelings themselves are okay.

But I must not let the sun go down on these emotions. I don’t think that means I have to eradicate these emotions before I go to sleep. I’m not always sure that is possible. Rather, I think I need to express these emotions in a proper and healthy way as quickly as possible. Otherwise, the stuffed emotions will come out in sinful explosions or in sinful escapes later.

It’s okay to feel. But be honest with your emotions. Define them to yourself and share them with those closest to you so you can work through them without sinning.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 15:1-16:40.

These readings provided me with hope because it showed that Paul was human. I don’t mean I see him doing things wrong necessarily. However, I do see him responding as I might respond with very human emotions.

In Acts 15:38-41, he has an argument with Barnabas and they part ways. I don’t want to get in the debate about whether this was right or wrong or who was right or wrong. I just notice that even the apostle Paul had turmoils, disagreements, struggles. Whatever was right or wrong in this situation, Paul wasn’t perfectly able to bring about 100% accord with Barnabas. I won’t always be able to do that either.

In Acts 16:18, says Paul cast out the spirit from the servant girl because he became greatly annoyed. No doubt, Paul was right to cast out the spirit. He had the authority to do so and there was nothing wrong with it. But I can’t help but see that this happened because he was greatly annoyed. What a human emotion. It is as if this girl had been following them around and each time Paul gets a little more frustrated. At first, he tries to ignore what she was doing. I can see him talking to someone, this girl crying out and him closing his eyes, looking up, sighing and trying to move on until it just had him pushed to the very limit. In annoyance, he turns around and essentially says, “Fine, if that’s the way you want to play this game, watch this. I command you in Jesus’ name to come out of her.” 

In Acts 16:36-40, Paul had been unjustly beaten. Even though he could see how the whole thing worked out for good and the jailer’s conversion, he was still ticked off. The officials had broken the law and he had paid the price for it. He wouldn’t take that lying down. He certainly didn’t do anything wrong and I think we learn some great lessons about using the rights our government gives us. However, I again see that human emotion. “I don’t have to take this. I’m not going to take this. You guys think you can break the law and then send us out privately. No way. I’m going to stand up to this.”

These vignettes into Paul’s life comfort me. I’m allowed to have emotions. I’m allowed to be annoyed at times because some things are annoying. I’m allowed to stand up for my rights some times. I’m allowed to disagree with someone sometime. All too often I live with this ideal fantasy that says when I’m doing everything just right I’ll never have disagreements, never get annoyed, never get angry. That will never happen. This is real life we’re talking about. Paul lived it and yet he was still faithful to God and forgiven by Jesus. I can too. I’m not saying I have permission to let my emotions run my life into sinful behaviors. I’m simply learning that I don’t have to berate myself with shame and guilt simply because I don’t live up to some fantasy standard.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?