What many call ‘righteous anger’ is not so righteous. Hear what the Lord is saying.
There is an ever-increasing divide, a polarization sweeping the planet, fueled by Social Media and online news agencies masking themselves as unbiased sources. Unfortunately, in 2023, I have yet to find a single news outlet without a slant or agenda.
I felt the Lord stir me to write the following.
Multiple camps within the Western Church are splintering off like ice breaking up on a large body of water. Each camp drifts away from the other, afloat on distant islands of pet doctrines, political leanings and socio-economic beliefs.
Populist voices try to drown out others that drift across the divide; their voice must be heard above all else. What was ‘woke’ a year ago is now considered archaic at best and suppressive at worst. The broader the social media coverage behind that voice, the more its followers assert that voice must be carrying the ‘truth.’
Every camp raises its voice without listening. They scream their rhetoric until all that can be heard is mind and heart-numbing babble. When a new voice happens to raise itself above the clamour, it is attacked by a mob who briefly come together in an attempt to bring down that voice. As soon as they discredit that voice, they splinter off yet again.
Christians also fall prey to the spirit behind this isolationist agenda. Our enemy knows the power of ‘divide and conquer.’ The Body of Christ’s voice has weakened due to its splintering. Am I saying that the unity of the Body can only come if we all agree on every issue? No! In an unhealthy church, everyone within that Body is expected to hold the same party line and agree on every minute fine point of doctrinal beliefs.
As global Body of Christ members, we must lay down fear, frustration, and panic. We must resist the fleshly instinct to react to news articles, blogs, Social Media posts, government decisions, etc. We must lay down the caveman mentality that our only reactions can be fighting or taking flight. We must give up the right to assume that our way of viewing the world is the only way.
Please understand me; I am not speaking about doctrinal absolutes such as the lordship of Jesus Christ, salvation through Christ alone, living moral and upright lives based on the inerrancy of Scripture, and refusing to embrace a lifestyle that goes against biblical truth. You can find my statement of faith on my website – I will never waive those tenets.
However, I AM saying that we must step back, take a deep breath, and LISTEN to the Holy Spirit before we speak out against whatever stirs us to anger. I felt the Lord say, “I am the one who knows your heart, ask me if what is fuelling your angry rants on Social Media is truly righteous. Is it possible your anger is driven by underlying fear and insecurity?”
We must LISTEN to each other, truly listen, and then listen to Holy Spirit before we react with a blast of angry rhetoric.
Who or what is fuelling your rage? Are you sure your righteous anger is actually righteous?
What are some practical steps we can take? Scripture is full of them.
John 16:23 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. “Holy Spirit wishes to guide us, but a guide must be allowed to lead. When anger is fuelling your need to make sure all others hear your voice and position, take a deep breath, step back, and keep your hands off your keyboard until you are in an emotional place where you can hear His promptings.
Proverbs 25:8 The Message (MSG) “Don’t jump to conclusions—there may be a perfectly good explanation for what you just saw.” Do your research before passing judgment. Do not believe soundbites to be an accurate representation of what the person was actually saying. In this age of AI, it is even more important to do your due diligence. Hunt down original videos – not edited reels, stories, and sound bites produced by those who are condemning speakers, churches, or leaders. Unfortunately, so-called Christian apologetic organizations constantly take what other ministries have said out of context. Do your research!
Proverbs 14:29 MSG “Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.’ This one speaks for itself. Don’t be so quick to share news articles, headlines, stories and memes on Social Media that you have not thoroughly read. Some people stockpile such articles on their timelines – not realizing they display an appalling collection of urban myths, half-truths, outright fake news, and pure laziness in not doing their research.
Proverbs 16:32 “Do you want to be a mighty warrior? It’s better to be known as one who is patient and slow to anger. Do you want to conquer a city? Rule over your temper before you attempt to rule a city.”
Remember David, a shepherd boy who refused to wear the armour offered by a king. That king was ruled by irrational fear, paranoia and insecurity. Yes, David was full of righteous anger toward Goliath, who would dare speak against Yahweh, but David’s one true allegiance was to his God. He didn’t race forward in a blind rage or run ahead to defend his right to be right.
No, David stepped back and used the weapons he learned to use in the secret place of intimacy with God in the back fields of his father’s farm.
The next time you feel your blood boiling over something you have read or heard, step back, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and use the tools you have learned to use in the secret place of intimacy with God.
Until Next Week
©2023 Katherine Walden