Psalms 4:4
Ephesians 4:26-27
1Corinthians 10:13
First and foremost, I'd just like to apologize for being super late with this post. I wont give excuses; partly because I'd rather just accept that its my fault and move on and partly because I don't really have a reasonable excuse anyways. I will say however, that I will make it up to you by putting up something before the week runs out.
That out of the way, hello salt of the earth. How was your week? This week two things happened that annoyed me. I've noticed that Christians find it easier to deal with sadness than anger and this is probably because we have less things to do when angry than others.
When you are angry, your body is in "fight or flight" mode. Adrenaline and Cortisol are pumped throughout the body. If you had not come to know the love of the Father, you could have expressed that anger in a variety of ways, e.g. hitting, screaming and so on. However, you are saved and redeemed (thank God) but as a result, you have all that anger; all those hormones charged up for a fight and nothing to do with them. So what can you do with anger? I've compiled short list of things you shouldn't do while angry which simultaneously answers what you should do.
A List: Stuff we shouldn't do when angry.
Sin. "In your anger do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26).
But I cant control myself-- uh, yes you can. I know this because God says you can and he cannot lie. God will never let you be tempted beyond what you can handle and when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it (1Corinthians 10:13). There are two important things to note in this verse, three actually, but the third one I won't mention. The first is that if you are angry, and you find yourself tempted to sin remember that you don't have to and that you
can overcome, otherwise, God will not let you get that temptation. The second is that he will provide a way out of it! I've spoken very generally about sin as to do with anger so I've made another list of specific things and what you can do instead.
A list in a list: sins people commit when they are angry and what you can do instead.
- Get physical: No. Don't do that. If you are inclined to express your anger physically, you can get a stress ball to clench or take a jog instead. And if you are worried about looking weak or concerned about losing a fight, think about it this way; Whenever someone tempts you, even though he is acting on his own accord, he is letting the devil use him. This means the real fight is not between you and him, its between you and the devil. So if you are winning the fight physically, spiritually you are taking some pretty fatal blows because by fighting, you are doing what the devil wants you to do and there fore, losing to him. Would you rather win the earthly fight which will be forgotten in a few years, months, weeks or even days time or the spiritual fight which is eternal and can have eternal consequences as well?
- Trade Insults: let slander always be far from your lips. You can think of this like the the example in the previous point. This isn't the real fight or the important one and having the last word doesn't mean anything. Even if the other person is taking 'low blows' just leave it.
- Dwell on it: I cannot emphasize this enough. Beloved, heir of the father, child of God, chosen generation, salt of the earth, how many times did I call your name? Please do not dwell on your anger. Don't let it tarry. Your aim should be getting rid of your anger as soon as possible. Don't let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26) Anger doesn't provide a good environment spiritually. Try as much as possible to get rid of anger as soon as it comes. It will do you no good to let it fester. Apart from that, prolonged anger overtime can cause headaches, high blood pressure, and heart attacks.
Keep it in. I've already mentioned the hormones released. Its not healthy to keep it all in. You have to find a way to let out your anger. This can be through writing, singing or running or even cleaning! By all means express yourself. There is nothing wrong with telling someone that he or she has upset you. I'll give an example, If someone raised their voice at you and it made you angry, you can say in a calm voice, "Look, I don't like way you shouted at me. I don't think it was necessary because I did nothing to warrant it." This way you have passed across your message and done no wrong. Heck, you can even throw in an apology, just because you know Jesus loves you and the other person may not. If the person keeps on raising their voice you shouldn't however keep exchanging word as this can turn into an argument. The fact that you are a christian doesn't mean you should let people ride over you or take advantage of you, but still, there are ways to avoid this without sinning.
Anger is not a nice emotion. It has terrible consequences physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you see yourself getting angry very often pray seriously about it. Ask for the grace of God to stop. You should also talk to your mentor about it.
Just think about it.
- How easily do you get angry? how often? How long does it take for it to blow off.
- What are the things that make you angry most often? Can they be avoided?
- You know how we spoke about people who the devil use to make you angry, imagine if you were one if them to other people! How awful!
Lets talk!
- I've already mentioned a few ways to control your anger. Do you have any tips on what else you can do when angry?
Prayer.
Dear Lord, I thank you for the air I breathe. I thank you for salvation and I thank you because even though I have done nothing to earn it, you still love me in ways that I cannot understand. I now know the dangers that may result from anger and I do not want to be affected by them. Dear Lord, I ask that you give me the strength to walk away from a fight and the grace to not let your anger fester. I also ask that you give me grace that I shall not be a source of anger to anyone and I apologize for the times I have been in the past. Amen.
WHAT NOW???
Some people have a history of making you angry repeatedly. Its best to keep away from those people. I'm not encouraging you to keep malice mind you. There should be full reconciliation and the only reason why you should not be as close to the person should be because the person has a higher tendency of getting you angry and you have tried your best to make the person stop to no avail. Love everyone heir of the father but its wiser to love some people from a distance!
Also, try your best to not be that person who makes someone else angry. What I'm saying is that you should do your best to make sure everyone's walk with Jesus goes as smoothly as possible. Its what you would want them to do for you right?
