Colossians 3:6

This short verse follows Paul's list in Colossians 3:5, where he names specific behaviors — sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which he calls a form of idolatry, meaning placing something ahead of God. Paul then states plainly: because of these things, God's wrath is coming. In the Bible, "wrath" does not describe a mood or a tantrum — it refers to God's just, settled response to evil. The phrase "is coming" suggests this judgment is certain, even if not fully here yet. Paul is telling these early believers that the behaviors on that list are not trivial or harmless — they carry real and serious consequences.

God, you are holy, and your response to evil is just. I do not always take seriously the things you take seriously. Give me clear eyes to see what needs to change in me — and the courage to bring it to you instead of hiding it. Amen.

We are not very comfortable with the idea that God gets angry. It does not fit neatly with the image of a gentle, patient Father. But think about what makes you righteously furious — injustice, exploitation, cruelty to someone who cannot fight back. That rage is not a character flaw. It is the correct response to something that genuinely deserves anger. The Bible's picture of God's wrath is similar: not a cosmic mood swing, but the necessary response of a holy God to real evil in the world. What is uncomfortable about this verse is not the anger itself — it is the list that comes before it. Greed. Lust. Evil desires. These are not cartoonish villainy. They are the quiet ones, the ones that settle into ordinary lives without fanfare. Paul is not just warning about what is coming. He is asking you to stop soft-pedaling what you have been tolerating in yourself — not with crushing shame, but with the clear-eyed honesty it actually deserves.