God speaks forcefully about the need to keep anger out of our hearts. He desires that we be set free of its grip and hold over us. Jesus came to portray and manifest love to all the world so that we could work to portray and manifest an outflow of the love we receive through Him who makes all things good.
Everyone will know what it's like to be angry. Anger is not always sinful. In fact, anger can be used for good. When we are angry towards injustice, towards sin and towards acts of hatred, we can channel this feeling of anger to make good come out of it. However, when anger is birthed out of bitterness and is channeled unjustly towards a person, it can be destructive.
Ephesians 4:26-27 tells us, "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil."
Even Jesus got angry and even God gets angry at sin. Obviously, we will get angry, and sometimes we can even get angry at ourselves. In fact, many Christians today are stuck in a trap of self-anger and self-hate.
We live in a world where self-hate is glorified and sometimes even promoted. We watch movies where protagonists are shown beating themselves up for their mistakes, we listen to music where self-doubt, self-pity and self-anger are seen to be "cool." Truth be told, self-hate is not cool. It's dangerous and contrasting to God's perfect will for each of us.
Suicide rates, self-harm and self-rejection cases are growing steadily by the years, and chances are that you know someone who has attempted suicide, has harmed themselves, or has a loved one who has attempted or committed suicide.
Mark 12:31 teaches us the second greatest commandment, "'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Obviously, you cannot love your neighbour if you do not love yourself. God wants us to be free from all the self-hatred and help us learn to love ourselves. That's why the Father sent Jesus Christ to rid us of the remorse, hate and bitterness through His overwhelming love and grace.
Through the Holy Spirit, we can experience freedom from hate through the fruit of love that so easily flows out of the realisation of the love God has for you. Jesus values you so much that He was willing to take your place on the cross so that you may have life more abundantly (John 10:10). We can declare what Psalm 118:7 says: "I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD."
God wants us to be free from the slow agonising death that self-hatred brings by assuring you that in Him you are accepted, you are loved and you are affirmed. We were not made to hate or harm ourselves, but to love God, love others and of course, love ourselves.
