“For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:20); “[love] is not easily angered” (1 Corinthians 13:5)
This week, Pastor Lee Young Hwan came to speak to us at an autumn conference of the Korean Churches Association in UK. As an executive of the Association, we had some time to chat with him over a meal before the conference started. Every time I meet a pastor that has conducted ministry for a while, I always find something to learn.
Pastor Lee only completed his studies up to Year 9, so he had an inferiority complex over that. He used to pray while sleeping in the church, and since he was so nervous to preach, he frequently prayed while fasting. Thanks to God’s grace and strength, he was able to preach for many years. He however had a very strong will, to the extent that he always kept his promises to God – and he said that from a few years ago, he started memorising verses in English, even though he’s in his mid-seventies. He recited a few verses during the conference, and I couldn’t help but be impressed.
He also shared with us one of his experiences which really resonated with me. He said that he was short tempered and quick to anger, but that something had happened in the past that stopped him from being angry with others. After planting a church in his 30s, there was a deacon who was creating divisions in the church, so he ended up quarrelling with him, and being angry with him. When that happened, the deacon quoted the verses above and asked whether it was right for a pastor preaching the truth to disobey the word. Pastor Lee accepted that as God’s words to him, and in obedience, didn’t show his anger in front of others from that moment onwards, even though he had been in many situations that made him angry.
He must have been great in many other aspects to have been so successful in his ministry, but the fact that he had resolved not to be angry with his wife or his congregation and had lived in that way was really touching for me. While reading 1 Corinthians chapter 13, this phrase that “love is not easily angered” caught my eye. It was refreshing as it was a specific example of how love would be defined. In the Sermon on the Mount, as an example of how our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, Jesus said that we must not be angry towards our brothers (Matthews 5:21-22) – and Moses couldn’t enter Canaan after being angry at the Israelites.
When I asked Pastor Lee how this was possible, he said that it wasn’t easy, but once continued, that it became a habit. In other words, if you continue to do it until it becomes a habit, it becomes easy. Since we’re so comfortable around our family we can say things we don’t mean, and it’s easy to be angry with people at church we’re close to, but generally, all these people are people who are devoted to the church. Since we see each other frequently, it’s natural that we experience more instances where we could be hurt by or angry due to them. But the bible tells us anger doesn’t help us reach God’s righteousness, and love is not easy to anger, so I also started to think that I should live as Pastor Lee did. Even after resolving so, I still find myself being angry, but I want to continue to obey, make this a habit and continue to live so until it becomes easy and part of my character. Most importantly, I should ask for God’s grace that helps us live in this way.
