For the Christ follower, our ultimate Teacher must be Jesus. A news outlet must not become our church, and a media personality must not become our Teacher. Try this for a few nights. Go to bed reading Scripture. You will wake up much happier than if you go to bed watching or reading news told by people who live with the pressure that their success rises as our anger rises.
3. Stay Away From the Really Angry People.
The most foolish people in the fictional “Purge” are those who stay roommates or friends with people who are perpetually angry, with people who look forward to “purge night.” If someone keeps sending you messages to incite you, block the person. If a person you read makes you angrier every time you read the person, stop reading the person. If you find yourself filled with frustration every time you watch a particular news show, stop watching. You can find ways to be informed without being angered. Perhaps the really angry people will change when the circumstance (Covid, election, etc.) changes. We can give them our online ears again then, but on purge night don’t hang out online with those consumed with rage.
4. Bear Fruit in Keeping With Repentance.
Most importantly we should seek to bear fruit in our lives and in our interactions that shows we belong to Jesus. Jesus commands us to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8). The fruit of following Christ is not hatred, misery, angst, impatience, meanness, brashness, rage, and uncontrolled outburst of anger. The fruit of the Spirt is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
