Obeying God is Better than Allowing Wicked People to Manipulate Us

Holding onto anger is a choice and will make those who engage in it physically ill. God told us to be angry but not sin.

Ephesians 4:26: "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."

There were times when Christ was angry but never allowed that anger to cause Him to sin.

When Christ lives in us, we do become angry at sin, but we should never allow us to act sinfully or use anger as an excuse for a bad attitude or behavior.

When we bless those who curse us, gossip against us we are dispelling any bitterness.

There are times when I feel angry at injustice, especially when I see the damage it does to those who are innocent. This anger is justified but is not a license to be rude, mean, or contentious toward the one who harmed me.

If someone is disrespectful on a regular basis without remorse for it, then I know there is a pattern and will avoid that person so that I do not become bitter. I might call it out or not but we should never retaliate, thinking we will teach them a lesson by doing the same to them that they did to us.

Those who have a pattern of disrespectful behavior do not learn from us acting "in kind", they only use it as an excuse to further harm, feeling justified even though they were the first to act this way.

Romans 12:17-21 "17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Our goal as born-again believers, above everything else, is to refrain from becoming like the world. Satan will use ungodly people to poke and prod at you to cause you to look no better than the world.

When we obey God, we are free from the guilt that comes from disobeying Him. We walk in peace because we are not guilty of allowing others to manipulate us to sin.

When we retaliate, we are demonstrating our emotional weakness and a sense of revenge.

Strength comes when we ignore our fleshly feelings to strike back and do what God has commanded us.

Luke 6:27-28 "27 But to those of you who will listen, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Obeying God is far more peaceful than being manipulated by wicked people to act like them.