DEALING WITH ANGER

Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace in our lives. With your help we can do all things through Christ who Strengthens us.

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.

James 1:19-20

Dear Friends,

How has your anger level been lately? How quickly is it set off? Is it under control or out of control? James 1:19-20 says:

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.

So often, we feel justified in our anger and in what we say or do to others because of it. But it says here in James 1:20 that we can never accomplish God’s will with it. Our anger is often destructive to others and ourselves. Things are usually worse, not better. Almost always it leaves a mess with hurt and broken relationships. We also never feel good about ourselves afterwards.

I have found that anger is often a cover up for hurt or because I cannot be in control of a particular situation. When things don’t go my way or someone doesn’t do what I wanted them to do, I am tempted to become angry. (That’s called ‘control’).

Instead of lashing out at the other person, or internalizing our anger (and become a pressure cooker!), God wants us to give Him our hurts, frustrations and anger and let Him handle it. When we turn control back over to Him, our anger quickly subsides. Then we can speak to others in a rational, Christ-like way without making things worse.

I am so glad the Bible has answers to every day life. Aren’t you?

Here’s for a week walking with Christ.

Pastor Mark