April 4, 2012 | Leave a comment Today, Wednesday April 4, 2012, is the fortieth day of preparing our hearts, souls and minds for the most high of all Christian holy days, Easter Sunday. Today I need to “put off” anger and “put on”self control. When I speak of putting off anger I do not mean that you and I will never have anger or show anger again but that what causes us to become angry and how we behave when angered will change from our pre-Christian lives. Jesus shows us the distinction between righteous indignation and selfish anger when He cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem. 13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20 The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. John 2:13–22 (NIV) Zeal for God’s house ignited Jesus’ anger and not His own sense of being personally wronged. When you or I become angry it is for our own self interests. It is this form of selfish anger that I am suggesting you and I need to “put off.” It is selfish anger to which the writer of Proverbs refers when he writes: 22 An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins. Proverbs 29:22 (NIV) Whenever we become converted the fruits of the Spirit begin to manifest themselves in us. As we mature in Christ these fruits grow and become manifest more and more. If you are a Christian you need to compare your spiritual maturity by the presence of the fruits of the Spirit in your own personal life. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22 – 23 It is by putting on self control that you and I are able to allow God the Holy Spirit to control our natural flesh’s tendency to lash out when wronged or when we perceive we have been wronged. The practical reason why you and I need to “put off” anger and “put on” self control is that to fail to do so causes us to live our lives preoccupied by defending our own honor and being offended whenever our defenses prove unsuccessful. If, however, we are able to “put off” anger and “put on” self control we will live our lives for God’s glory and count it all joy whenever we are offended for His great names sake, and the sake of His gospel. I believe the world needs more mature Christians who have “put off” anger and “put on” self control! Do you agree or disagree?