“BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:26-28)
Paul tells me to control my anger in Ephesians 4:26. Anger is an emotional response. We are triggered: Something causes anger, like being treated unfairly or feeling threatened. The brain reacts by activating the amygdala, which deals with emotions. This can lead to intense feelings of anger. The body releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These make the heart beat faster and increase blood flow, preparing the body to react quickly. You might notice physical signs of anger, such as clenched fists, raised heart rate, or muscle tension.
Some people might even feel hot or flushed. The mind becomes very focused on what’s causing the anger, sometimes making it hard to think about anything else. The body prepares for either “fighting” (confronting the problem) or “fleeing” (escaping from the situation). Finally, a person may express their anger verbally (through yelling) or physically (through gestures), or they might choose to keep it inside. While we might not be able to control how the body responds in a moment of anger—the feelings, the hormones, a raised heart rate—we can control what we do in response.
What It Means to “Be Angry and Do Not Sin”
That’s why Scripture says, “Be angry and do not sin.” I do not have to act by how I feel. I can feel angry but do good. The only time Scripture specifically says Jesus was angry was in Mark 3:5. A man with a severely impaired hand came to Jesus to be healed on the Sabbath day. Because it was the Sabbath, some critics of Jesus thought He should heal the man another day; apparently, they classified healing as doing work on the Sabbath.
Mark says in 3:5 that Jesus “looked around at them in anger, being grieved by the hardness of the hearts.” But what’s beautiful about the example of Jesus is what He did next: He did not speak or act in anger; he healed the man’s hand. Jesus was angry, but He did not sin; He acted righteously instead. So, we might not always be able to control when we feel angry, but we can always control how we respond. Paul also encourages us to “not let the sun go down on our wrath.”
Resolving Anger Quickly and Preventing Temptation
If we’re angry, we must deal with the problem right now and not wait for tomorrow. That doesn’t mean we should solve all issues in one day. Instead, we should do our best to address what makes us angry consistently until the matter is resolved. Don’t let the day end without confronting what makes us angry. If we let anger linger from one day to the next, we allow the devil to tempt us. Stress and anxiety increase as problems go unresolved.
Our strain our relationships with others by communication breakdowns, decreased trust, and ongoing conflict. Unresolved anger might make us more aggressive or cause us to withdraw from relationships. We might make impulsive, harmful decisions that escalate conflicts or consequences. Satan can use anger over one problem to develop many problems. Thus it’s best to act righteously when we are angry and to seek quick resolution if at all possible.
Do Not Steal
In Ephesians 4:28, Paul talks to people who previously struggled with stealing. Before we discuss this verse, let’s zoom out to remember the context. Paul urges us to forsake our former ways by not acting like the world. When we become Christians, we are to “put off the old person” who lived according to sin and “put on the new person” who is guided by righteousness. Transformation is a two-fold process: I must put off sin and put on righteousness. Christians stop lying and tell the truth. When I am angry, I try to avoid angry behavior or speech by seeking a quick resolution.
So, Paul addresses those who struggle with stealing in the context of putting something off and putting something on. They should stop stealing and start working. Certainly, there are instances when people steal out of economic hardship or dire need, but there are many other reasons. The desire for goods or status leads people to acquire items they desire for personal gratification, social status, or enhancing their lives. Some people struggle with impulse control or addictive behavior that leads them to steal even when they don’t need to.Others grow up in an environment where stealing has become normalized; theft is seen as perfectly acceptable, and few thieves suffer repercussions for their thievery.
Be Generous
If stealing is a problem for you, Paul says to stop and begin working to earn what you have through honest, hard work. He takes the lesson one step further: work hard so that you have something to share with those in need. Aside from when people steal because of privation or desperate need, most forms of stealing are inherently selfish.
But the Christian faith calls us to deny self and to live for others: to love God first and our fellow human beings second. One key to overcoming stealing is to see the good produced by hard work that leads to generosity. I should work hard not just for myself but also to help others. Jesus sacrificed more than His body; He sacrificed enormous amounts of time, energy, and attention in caring for others. If “sticky fingers” have been a problem for us, the solution is hard work that leads to a generous spirit.
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