Burning Desire
Why is anger so hard to put off? It’s as if someone mistook us for an escape artist like David Copperfield, knotted us up in a straight-jacket of irritation, locked heavy chains of hostility around us, nailed us shut into a box of exasperation, and then dumped us into class 5 rapids of rage, stood back and said, “Get out of that!” We feel trapped (see also Proverbs 22:24-25 bibrefproverbs22 bibrefproverbs22v24 bibrefproverbs22v25).
As Christians we know anger is a sin. We know it’s foolish. We know it’s destructive. We know we shouldn’t.
But “brute force” attempts to stop anger usually only succeed temporarily. Any time “off” is better than always on, and also, “I’m not going to get angry (this time)” needs more support.
As usual in the Christian life, an imperative (Colossians 3:8 bibrefcolossians3 bibrefcolossians3v8) depends on the indicative. We really need to remember that we’ve died with Christ (Colossians 2:20 bibrefcolossians2 bibrefcolossians2v20) and we’ve been raised with Him (Colossians 3:1 bibrefcolossians3 bibrefcolossians3v1). We have a new identity, a new life in Christ. Then we’re to “put to death what is earthly” (Colossians 3:5 bibrefcolossians3 bibrefcolossians3v5), and we “put off” more of the earthly (Colossians 3:8 bibrefcolossians3 bibrefcolossians3v8), starting with anger, wrath, and malice.
I bring this up to say that what is “earthly” here is not steak, but sexual immorality. What is earthly is not art, but anger.
With that in mind, by contrast we’re supposed to seek “things that are above,” we’re to “set our minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2 bibrefcolossians3 bibrefcolossians3v1 bibrefcolossians3v2). The “things that are above” are what? It’s not angels. It’s not pearly gates or wispy clouds, not big harps or wings on our backs. What characterizes things above? What’s above includes presence not isolation or division, joyful peace not distress and conflict, harmony not tension and cacophony.
And this is the vital paradigm shift. Putting off anger is a habit, a discipline, an obedience, all of that, yes. But men will struggle to put off anger without a burning desire for fellowship on earth as it is in heaven. Yes, give up wanting to make others pay for what you don’t like, and even more cultivate your great liking for the “bond of perfection” (Colossians 3:14 bibrefcolossians3 bibrefcolossians3v14). More to say.