“Learn to master your desires before they master you.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – August 14, 2025
Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Psalm 4:4, NKJV
For years, I assumed that a faithful Christian life required me to be free of all passions and desires. If I didn’t feel anything, then I wouldn’t fall into the trap of sinful living. While this may be fine in theory, it is, of course, impossible to live out in practice! Regardless of your temperament or disposition, every single one of us is filled with emotions and desires that come upon us in a moment’s notice. Wisdom is not erasing all desire but learning to master your desires before they master you.
In Psalm 4, we encounter one of the most universal human emotions: anger. Not a person on this planet has been spared this emotion, and anger has the ability to enflame us in the most remarkable ways, especially when it is born out of a sense of injustice toward ourselves or someone we love. To speak for myself, the moments in my life I have most regretted as a husband, father, and friend typically have unbridled anger as the root cause of my poor decisions and failures to love.
“Be angry,” we are told. Not as a license to accept anger as a normative part of your life, but simply as an acknowledgement that it is impossible not to feel anger. Yet by the power of the Spirit, it is possible to be angry without anger consuming your life, to have a dispassionate response to an extreme passion that surges within you. “Be angry, and do not sin.” “Be angry, and be still.” These seemingly contradictory realities can live in beautiful harmony. Do not act upon your anger! Even when it surges through your body like a wildfire, be still.
Welcome and acknowledge the presence of the emotion you are experiencing. Consider how it is tempting you to act in rash, foolish, or even violent ways. What a powerful emotion! Yet at the same time, welcome the presence of an even greater power, a living presence that calms seas and splits the earth, and when we welcome him with sincere hearts, he will calm the seas of our hearts and put back together everything we have torn in two.
Prayer
Father, teach us to be still in the midst of the storm, and remind us that in your strength we are able to conquer even our most powerful emotions, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
In moments of extreme anger or other strong emotions, consider ways to be still, knowing the Lord is with you and will lead you through it.
Related Reading
Proverbs 16:32; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Ephesians 4:26-27
Worship Resource
The Belonging Co Feat. Lauren Daigle: Peace Be Still
Donate
If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision.
Download our app!
