Never Go to Bed Angry

GREEK WORD WITH ENGLISH TRANSLITERATION: παροργισmος  (parorgismos)

PRONUNCIATION:  par-org-is-MOS

STRONG’S CONCORDANCE #: 3950

MEANING: wrath; rage; anger

BACKGROUND OF WORD (ETYMOLOGY): from two Greek words meaning "alongside anger"

HOW TRANSLATED IN KJV, NASB AND/OR ESV:  wrath; anger

# OF TIMES USED IN THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT: 1

KEY VERSE IN THE BIBLE WHERE GREEK WORD USED:

Ephesians 4:26 -  "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath (παροργισmος)."

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

    

Have you ever gone to bed sizzling with anger about what someone did or didn't do or about what someone said or didn't say? If you think about it, you'll realize that this last phrase pretty well summarizes the primary reasons people get offended, insulted, irritated, or upset. Isn't it true that people's various responses or lack of responses in a given situation can send you to bed fuming if you allow yourself to take offense and get all worked up?

I have to admit that I've gone to bed angry on more than one occasion. How about you? Have you ever tossed and turned this way and that way, unable to sleep, because you were aggravated about something that happened? Did you become more and more angry the longer you thought about that issue?

Ephesians 4:26 warns us, “...Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” The word “wrath” is the Greek word ‎parorgismos‎, a compound of the words ‎para ‎and orgidzo. The word ‎para ‎means alongside, as in something that is very close to you. The word ‎orgizœ ‎is the Greek word for wrath, which depicts someone whose mood is so upset that he becomes completely bent out of shape over some issue.

When ‎orgizœ ‎(“wrath”) is operating in an individual, it often starts as silent resentment. That resentment slowly builds up inside the person, becoming stronger and stronger until one day, it finally explodes in rage! And because the resentment has simmered silently for so long, the outburst of explosive wrath is usually way out of proportion to the situation that caused the anger in the first place.

But when these two words are joined together, forming the word ‎parorgismos‎, it presents the image of a person who brings anger to his side and then embraces it. Instead of rejecting anger or pushing it away when it shows up, this person draws anger to himself and then nurses it, nourishes it, feeds it, and holds it close. The aggravating issue gets “under his skin” and soon becomes so entrenched in him that it becomes his constant companion and partner. He takes the offense with him wherever he goes — and that includes taking it to bed with him!   Parorgismos ‎(anger) is not momentary outward, boiling-over rage or inward, seething resentment, but rather a deep-seated, determined and settled conviction. As seen in this passage, its New Testament use can represent an emotion good or bad, depending on motive and purpose.

When a person goes to bed sizzling over something that has inwardly angered him, the entire night becomes an opportunity for the devil to work inside his mind and emotions. As soon as the person's head hits the pillow, the devil begins to bombard his mind to prevent him from sleeping and to stir up his anger even more.

CHALLENGE FOR THE DAY:

    

So don't go to bed angry and let your mind become a movie screen on which the devil can portray every foul thing he wants you to meditate on all night long. That only allows the enemy to steal your peace and infuriate you even further. Why not instead deal with that anger or unforgiveness before your head ever hits the pillow? Do everything you can to stay free of anger, wrath, and strife, for these fleshly emotions are the entry points the devil uses to wage war in your mind.

If you find that you can't deal with this problem by yourself, talk to your spouse or call a friend and ask that person if you can talk and share something that has been weighing heavily on your heart. Ask him or her to listen to you and to help you see things in a better light. You may be surprised to find that a different set of eyes sees the situation very differently than you do. And as you listen to a different side of the story, it may even help you release the offense that angered you so you can put the entire issue to rest forever.

But whether or not you decide to talk to a friend about the matter, one thing is for sure: If something or someone has upset or offended you, you will only make matters much worse if you let yourself go to bed angry!

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Lord, I am sorry for the times I've allowed my anger to rise up and take control of me. I realize that I have no excuse, for the Spirit of God inside me is present to restrain me and to produce the fruit of the Spirit in me. I now see that I have opened the door to the devil in the past by allowing wrong attitudes to be pervasive in my life. I want to shut the door to the devil so he can no longer find access to me, to my family, to my business, to my church, or to any part of my life. To shut that door tight, I am asking You to help me remove uncontrolled anger from my life! I pray this in Jesus' name! Amen