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One of the main areas people struggle with in their lives is ANGER. I have attempted to do a devotion on anger after going through many struggles with it myself. for those of you who struggle with anger my words to you are for you to remember that god loves you very much and understands the anger you have. he wants to set you free. jesus paid for it on the cross and is waiting for you to place it at his feet. why not let him set you free today! |
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A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1 |
We all struggle with anger from time to time. How we handle that anger involves many factors. As a child, did we learn to control our emotions or were we allowed to express our emotions to the point that our emotions controlled us? Everybody handles anger in different ways. The easiest and most natural reaction is to fight back when we are angry. It takes a lot more courage to turn the other cheek. Some people react in anger instantly before thinking things through. Others will think before they react which helps them to quench their reaction out of anger. How do you handle anger? Do you express it or repress it? When Jesus cast the money changes out of the temple he was angry; yet we know He did not sin. We can be angry and not allow that anger to cause us to sin. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Ephesians 4:26 We cannot help when we get that feeling of anger, but we can control the way we react. We must learn to be self-controlled so that we can live in peace with others and with God. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:18 The less we think of OURSELVES and OUR opinions and the more we think of glorifying God, the more we will find ourselves less angry within our hearts. When we love others as ourselves it will be easier to get along with others and we will not have to worry about anger overtaking us. Sometimes anger can be prevented. If we recognize the signs in our hearts that cause us to become angry, we could maybe turn to the Lord for help before it manifests. It is easier for us to get angry easily when we are tired, or frustrated, or we are experiencing pain, hurt, or sorrow. Do you ever have a day when everything you do or say seems wrong? These are the days we need to be more cautious. We need to refrain from discussing things with others that can cause anger to stir. We must learn not to let our feelings control us, but instead learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. If we are overly sensitive then we are also prone to getting our feelings hurt which in the long run causes us to become bitter and angry. We must ask ourselves: How does God want us to handle our anger? When we express our anger in a hurtful or hateful way, we become depressed because we know it is not pleasing to God. Then we get angry with ourselves and take it out on others. James 1:19 tells us to be "slow to wrath". How often do we find ourselves having to repent of foolish actions or unkind words? How many times do we find ourselves being quarrelsome because of the anger we have buried deep inside our hearts? This is a problem of the heart. It proves that we are not at peace with ourselves or with God. Sometimes when we feel inadequate or worthless we express it in irritation towards others. This is not pleasing to God. Feeling negative about ourselves will cause anger, but this is sin because we are God's creation and He loves us very much. When we reject ourselves we reject God. Having a prideful spirit will cause us to react to people harshly and angrily. He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: Proverbs 28:25a We should ask God to help us to have control over anger. When we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, then we will be able to deal with anger in a Godly way. So the next time you find yourself in a situation where anger comes to surface, ask yourself who will be in control... the HOLY SPIRIT or SELF? |
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