Be Angry, But No Sin
Isaac Megbolugbe
May 14, 2024
Beware, believers might have been justified and sanctified. The power of sin abated, but the presence of sin remains as challenging as ever as to be threatening to the holiness faith believers. It is not a sin to be disappointed, to be curious about whether you have been cheated or not. It is also not a sin to be angry. It is not a sin to be foolish and immature. The Holy Scriptures teaches that we should not sin when we become angry. Sometimes, separating yourself from an opportunity zone where anger could be exacerbated avoids risk of sin. Burying negative emotions is a very common practice in society at every age, particularly among the young and the restless. Eventually, such emotions embed themselves in the deep crevices of our hearts, sometimes for the duration of a lifetime.
In my case, a negative emotion was apparently buried for 48 years despite haven undergone treatment over a three-year period for depression and despair. This emotion erupted like a volcano when the emotional tectonic plates within were shifted in response to an unexpected inquiry about my past. Apparently, this emotion became buried in the deeper reaches of my heart. A recent inquiry about the past incident triggered it, but it was immediately transformed into a sense of sadness. This was when I realized I had a problem and I immediately sought professional help. The reality of this self-discovery is to realize that this past incident continues to present as a moment of disappointment and failure in my life. With the benefit of hindsight and lived experiences you know how moments of failures feel. I immediately embrace my need for help to heal.
Professionals offered some strategies to restore a balanced perspective but that did not help my emotions. I reached out to a trusted mentor who not only promptly judged me sinful and wicked but attributed to me the temperature and atmosphere of my heart that I know do not exist. I am glad that I was not even angry that I was misjudged. Instead, I justified it and connected the behavior to acts of fatherly love and good intentions. This is when I realized how much I have grown in humility and courage. This experience is a further validation of the reality of the sanctification work of the Holy Spirit. I feel strengthened in my ongoing belief in the beauty of hindsight and the agency it offers to learn, grow, and impact the future in a good way. Glory to God, the Holy Spirit stepped in to resolve the situation and made me whole, perhaps because the matter became an issue of unity within the Body of Christ.
I feel very vulnerable in sharing this testimony, but also empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so. This experience teaches me more about the complexities of human emotions, the importance of self-awareness, and the role of hindsight in our growth and sanctification. It also reminds me of the wisdom of the Holy Scriptures: (1) avoid rushing to judgment, Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged, (2) Matthew 12:34, ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. (3) James 1:19-20 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
As a recap, these are the highlights of my testimony.
1. The lingering presence of sin and imperfection, even in sanctified lives.
2. The value of acknowledging and processing emotions, rather than suppressing them.
3. The distinction between feeling emotions and sinning in our responses.
4. The wisdom of seeking help and support in our struggles.
5. The potential for misjudgment and misunderstanding, even from well-intentioned individuals.
6. The beauty of humility, courage, and growth in the face of adversity.
7. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to learn, grow, and impact the future positively.
May God encourage you to embrace your own struggles and growth, and may we all continue to learn and flourish on our journeys of faith and self-discovery. Amen.
