It has been awhile since I have posted on a topic that falls under the category of total ’seriousness’. However, last night while reading my Bible I was convicted to write about this topic today.
Over the past few months there has been much going on in my life and that of my extended family that could make me angry and has made me angry. Just as recent as yesterday, I was perched on the edge of that pit, angled for a fall.
Anger is a normal and basic human emotion. It is a response to threats to our safety, well being and happiness. It is a survival function because it communicates to others and ourselves that something is wrong. We get angry when we are frustrated, hurt, annoyed, disappointed, harassed or threatened. The way we express our anger depends on our life experiences.
Coping with Anger: Self Help Research Technology
My life experiences with anger took years of extensive therapy to reprocess. I sought help as the receiver of anger and the giver of anger because it was making me ill. Yes, although “anger is a normal and basic human emotion” it can also make you mentally and physically ill if not managed.
Thankfully, through EMDR therapy, I learned to manage the triggers for my anger. Thankfully, through my faith, I learned to manage the potential for hurting others when I am hurting.
I have three Bibles.
- The Holy Bible, New Living Translation. This one is so old and used that quite a few books of the New Testament fall out as I search through all the markings and highlighted areas to find the scripture my heart yearns for at a particular moment in time.
- The Open Bible, New King James Version. I love using this one when I am involved in a Bible study or desire to delve deeper into the books of the Bible.
- The Answer:Authentic Faith for an Uncertain World, New Century Version. This is the one I now read on a daily basis. I love the ‘New Century Version’ text, it is easy to read and understand. Yet, my most favorite part of this Bible are the 365 daily articles that are included with appropriate scripture. I have never enjoyed devotional books or devotional Bibles. However, the articles are exactly that, articles (selected writings) by a number of individuals about topics that have life applications.
To work my way back to why I felt convicted to write about anger today, it was because of this article that I found in my Bible while reading Ephesians:
How Do I Deal With Anger? by Charles Stanley
When you are hurt, how do you defuse the emotional bomb of your anger? It may sound simplistic, but the power of Jesus Christ is the answer. He is the only One who can control your emotions and channel them in the proper directions.
It is also crucial to remember that your anger is not intrinsically wrong (Matthew 21:12-17). Anger in response to sin and its ill effects is a form of righteous anger, but when it crosses over the boundary into bitterness or a spirit of vengeance, it is not honoring to God. Much has been written on the subject of handling anger, and for good reason; it is a powerful motivator.
A key principle for keeping anger from turning into deep hurt is found in Ephesians 4:32 (NASB): “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” When you let go of your desire to get revenge, you are on the road to experiencing true freedom through forgiveness.
Your health and well-being are not the only reasons for quick resolution of an angry conflict; bitterness must be avoided at all costs. When a hurt is not addressed, it works its way down into the inmost parts of your heart. Bitterness is a lack of forgiveness multiplied many times over, and it will take root and spread into every segment of your life if you are not watchful.
I am thankful that I can walk away from the edge of that pit by the grace of God.
How about you?
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4 Comments
I think this was written expressly for me. I was in the middle of a bit of a rant about traditional church education and vbs and why I hate it so. Time to step away from the computer, rehash, and start over in a more gentle way.
I rant -use a whole lot of sarcasm initially and then generally launch into a good bit of self-deprecating humor to tone down the rough edges still left behind.
I blow up (on the inside) and rant to myself until I’ve cooled off a bit. Then, I try to look at the whole thing more rationally. If I say anything about being angry it’s usually in the form of sarcastic humor intended to make you laugh as well as understand.
Anger is a terrible emotion, it eats you alive. The harder you endevour to submerge it, sink it to the bottom of your gut, the more it grows, the harder to control. I has many causes, yet I feel it is fear based. Somewhere in the span of a life time someone took away your control, leaving you vunerable. The result is an individual who strives to control everything, gets agitated, frustrated and lost when that is not possible. This gives rise to fear, and fear gives birth to anger.