Pastor Mark Lee of Vantage Point Church in Easvale
For sports fans, March is a month known for madness. During the exciting final weeks of the college basketball season, teams across the country battle for the national championship. This rapid succession of single elimination games is commonly referred to as “March Madness.” However, anyone who has ever driven a Southern California freeway can tell you that madness is not exclusively reserved for the month of March.
According to the 2008 Mental Health Organization report entitled “Boiling Point,” 32 percent of people say they have a close friend of family member who has trouble controlling their anger. At the same time, more than one out of every four people admits to occasionally worrying about their own anger.
The unfortunate truth is that we live in the age of rage. This becomes exceedingly evident during a trip to any sporting event, shopping mall, or elementary school parking lot. People are angry. But, this doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. Anger, if channeled properly, can be a source of motivation.
Anger can encourage you to work harder, persevere longer, and move faster. It can also result in significant change. After all, it was anger that led to the American Revolution and the Civil Rights Movement. It is anger that drives us to find cures, enact social reform, and make a difference in the world.
Ephesians 4:26-27 says “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” The Bible does not condemn anger. Instead, it advises us to control our behavior when we are angry. It is okay to get mad, but it is not okay to act bad.
VantagePoint Church meets at Roosevelt High School on Sundays at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11:30 a.m.
