Journey of the Word

I love words. I love made-up words. I even love trendy made-up words. {Sometimes.}

But hangry??? Like, is that even for real?

To my utter astonishment, it was added to Merriam-Webster’s in Sept 2018:

hangry (adj): irritable or angry because of hunger

Okay, so basically, we’ve discovered that when we’re hungry, self-control is suddenly and necessarily at an all-time low, giving us official permission to be unapologetically angry. Give it a cute label and a scientific explanation, and it becomes an excuse, yes?

Nope. As it turns out, we can’t blame anyone or anything for our own sin.

Let’s say I’m a mom with three young kids. It’s 1:32PM, and I’m in the drive-thru. I haven’t eaten in five hours, and my stomach is growling. My kids’ simple requests suddenly seem like unreasonable demands, and I lash out at them in anger. That’s not me being “hangry.” That’s me being a sinner.

“But science!” you say. “It’s a proven fact!” Sure, hunger may increase your propensity for irritability, but while we’re calling things like they are, let’s call anger, “anger,” and sin, “sin.”

Anger doesn’t become justifiable anger simply because I need food in my stomach. My emotions are easily stirred by all manner of needs, circumstances, or temptations, but those emotions and the attitudes, actions, and words to follow are still a choice.

Yes, “hangry” or not, sin is always a choice.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12-14

[photo credit: unsplash.com]