How Uncontrolled Anger Is Destroying a Once-Great Political Party
During the State of the Union address I, and millions of others, could not help but notice the glum, angry, vindictive faces and postures of the Democrat senators and Congress people. They refused to applaud—even at uplifting reports of American citizens, including minorities they claim to support, being lifted by the roaring Trump economy. Even the smallest expressions of common courtesy were nowhere to be seen.
Their Seething Anger
This was not something new, for their seething anger has been directed at this president from the day of his inauguration. They have accused him of being a Russian agent and have launched one investigation after another seeking to bring him down. He is regularly called a racist, a liar, mentally unbalanced and “unfit” for the presidency. He has been burned in effigy and the so-called comedian Kathy Griffin posted a photo of herself holding up a bloody facsimile of Trump’s severed head.
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib walked out in the middle of the speech, saying the president’s mention of Brett Kavanaugh “triggered” her. You may recall that she is the woman who, after being elected to Congress in 2018, unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against the president in which she vowed to, “Impeach the [expletive].” It seems that not a single Democrat protested her vile speech.
The Democrats’ seething anger came to a boil with Speaker Pelosi ripping up the president’s speech in front of the cameras as he was making his final remarks. I had never seen anything like it in American politics.
The Nebuchadnezzar Lesson
The Bible is very clear that anger, allowed to fester and seethe, is self-destructive and opens the door to demonic intrusion. A clear example of this is Nebuchadnezzar and his seething anger toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego because they would not compromise their faith in God and bow before the image he had made.
Nebuchadnezzar called them in, gave them one more chance to bow, and threatened to throw them into a fiery furnace if they refused. They rejected his offer and in so many words informed the king that no matter what he did, they were not going to bow to his image.
Nebuchadnezzar was enraged and had the furnace heated seven times hotter than normal. Now, why did he do that? A normal fire is going to kill them. It is the seething anger that causes him to act in a rash and irrational manner.
Interestingly, a common, biblical Greek word for anger is orgè. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon defines orgè as “violent emotion, anger, wrath and indignation.”
In his orgè Nebuchadnezzar had the furnace heated seven times hotter and ordered his most valiant warriors to throw the three Hebrews into the burning furnace. Because of the intense heat, the Babylonian warriors were killed, but because of God’s protection Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not hurt.
A similar scenario has emerged through the Democrats’ three-year angry quest to remove this president from office. Trump was just acquitted of the impeachment charges and his approval rating is higher than it has ever been. The Democrats, on the other hand, seem to be severely damaged by this ordeal.
This is not to suggest that Trump and Republicans have been without fault in all of this. There is room for repentance on both sides, but it is obvious from what we saw at the State of the Union, and over the past three years, that it is the Democrats who have been caught up in an orgè of uncontrolled rage and anger.
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your Wrath
Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Be angry but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Do not give place to the devil.” This passage is saying that anger, in and of itself, is not necessarily sin. Jesus got angry at the Pharisees and at the people who had turned God’s house into a house of merchandise. There is such a thing as “righteous indignation.” We must not, however, allow the anger to seethe and simmer.
In the passage of above, Paul exhorts, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Do not give place to the devil.” His point is, when you get angry (and you will), don’t lose your cool and sin. However, if you do sin, be quick to repent. Deal with the anger before you retire for the night. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.
When you kneel by your bedside, turn it all over to God. Ask Him to forgive you if you have sinned. Forgive the person who has wronged you and made you angry, knowing that God is a God of justice and He will make everything come out right. Let it go and move on with your life.
My Prayer for the Democratic Party
For the sake of America, I pray that God will help the Democrats to let go of their seething, irrational anger toward President Trump. By doing so, they will be doing themselves a favor and helping preserve their own future. {eoa}
Dr. Eddie Hyatt does not identify as either a Republican or a Democrat, and he is convinced that the answer for America’s ills is ultimately spiritual, not political. He is the founder of the “1726 Project” whose goal is to spread the message of America’s spiritual birth out of the Great Awakening and call on believers everywhere to pray for another Great Awakening across the land. Check out his latest book, 1726, available from Amazon; and his website at eddiehyatt.com.
