Anger: Why We Can't Worship With It

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny." (Matthew 5:21-26)

Oh Jesus, why are you always making things so hard?! It's so much easier to separate my real life with my church life and pretend like the two have nothing to do with one another.

Are you really trying to tell me that it dishonors you when I'm at church trying "worship" and I have anger in my heart and unresolved issues with my brother or sister? Are you serious? Being angry, speaking insults, and calling someone a fool is the same as murder in your eyes??

Are you saying not having the last 10% of the conversation with friends in the church is a sin against you?

Are you really saying that if I can't be reconciled to my brother, it will be difficult to be reconciled to our Father?

I'm starting to think that the peace we have with others is directly related to the peace we have with you. If we don't have right relationship with our own neighbor, how then oh LORD, can we have right relationship with you?

Is there someone, a brother or sister, a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker you need to be reconciled to? Is there someone in your life you need to have a conversation with? Go and be reconciled first . . . then come and offer your gift.

Let's stop pretending, let's stop gossiping, let's stop letting anger fester. It causes division between one another and most importantly division between us and the LORD. Go and have that hard conversation and worship Him all the more!