joy 2

In Philippians 4:5 Paul continues, “The Lord is near.” Here he invites us to practice the Lord’s presence. When we are angry, the Lord does not appear to be very near. The Holy Spirit invites us to consciously note the Lord’s presence even when we are angry so that our anger can be turned into joy. He does that by inviting us to make honest confession of our sins (1 John 1:8-9). That is the first step in getting “rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” (Eph 4:32) In confession we take ownership for where we have allowed anger to control our lives. When we do this honestly with God, his promise is that he forgives our sins and makes us clean.

It is this cleanness that establishes our worth. The reason criticism can get a hold in our lives is because there is usually some truth in it. Anger internalizes the criticism. Confession turns it over to the Lord. What is true about our wrong is confessed and then forgiven by God. What is not true is turned away because it does not belong to us as forgiven, cleansed children of God. It is the fruit of joy that Holy Spirit uses to give this perspective.

That cleanness enables us to be forgiving, even toward our critics (Eph 4:32). Letting go of the right to be anger is the first step in this process of forgiving. Then we lose the need to be angry. Then we are free to love the object of our anger. This is what the Lord did (Luke 23:34). This is what the Lord’s presence enables us to do. It is marvelous that we can experience the Lord’s presence when we read the promises of Scripture (Ps 119:28, 50; Rom 1:16), when we share those promises in conversation with other Christians (James 5:16a; Matt 18:20), and especially when we receive the body and blood of our Lord in the bread and wine of Holy Communion (Matt 26:26-28).

The result of the Lord’s presence is healing for the Christian community. The Lord’s presence draws us together as the people of God. The barriers that divide us are broken down by his presence. We see the Lord’s presence in the faces of other believers. With the joy provided by the Holy Spirit, we gladly use our gifts for the common good (1 Cor 12:7) and grow together in Christ (Eph 4:15-16). Being present in this Christian community provides a wonderful antidote for bitterness and anger. In this community we find support, encouragement, and accountability in our battle with the sin of anger.