Undivided | Week Five
Staying Together Through Anger
With social media, candidates, and news stations vying for your attention, time, and commitment, how can you follow God's lead and stick with the people around you? (Even when you disagree.) Sticking together through today's complex issues can feel impossible, even when you are trying to follow Jesus together.
Jesus invites everyone to come together around Him and His Word. He will help you bring your very best to the people in your life, even when blame, offense, anger, and more try to tear you apart. Sticking together will help you experience God's presence and more joy with the people in your life. Most importantly, the world will see Jesus more clearly when His people work to stay undivided.
This study follows the “Lectio P.R.A.Y. Model” to help you and the people in your life live Undivided. It can be done individually, but it is better to go through it with the people you are walking toward Jesus with.
Pause:
Pause and be still. Breathe slowly. Center yourself in God’s presence for 60 seconds.
Take several slow, deep breaths. As you quiet yourself, acknowledge God’s presence by saying, “God, you are with me.”
When you are ready to pray:
God, create in me a unified heart. Make me aware of anything in me that is threatening unity from happening around me. Grow my awareness of opportunities to pursue and create unity by the power of your Spirit.
Rejoice and Reflect:
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
Stop being angry!
Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper—
it only leads to harm.
For the wicked will be destroyed,
but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. (Psalm 37:3-9)
Pause and pray
Read the following account from Paul in the book of Ephesians.
And don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:26-32 NLT)
Ask:
What role does anger have in my life? How frequently do the people around me experience my anger?
What does God say about anger in these passages?
What support do I need to become a “good and helpful” presence to those around me as outlined in this passage?
Yield:
Return to the passage again. Consider reading it in a different translation. If doing this in a group, have someone different read the passage. Invite God to show you something new as you read the passage a second time:
And don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:26-32 NLT)
What new insight do you gain from reading the passage again?
Pause and pray:
·What prayer is rising up in you in response to today’s reflection? Speak out that prayer with your group or write it down.
Act:
What people or places am I being invited to pray Psalm 37 over? How will my prayers be embodied in my actions?
Based on what you’ve heard from God during this reflection time, how will you respond in obedience this week?