Anger Management
Are you angry about something your anger cannot change?
That's a very interesting question! The definition of anger is “an inflammation of a wound, a strong passion or emotion of displeasure, excited by a sense of injury or insult.”
I have had a lot of situations in my life that have made me angry, who hasn’t! If you’ve been on this planet for more than a minute someone has pushed your buttons!! The Bible doesn't say to never be angry but to be angry and keep from sinning. How do you do that anyway?
The emotion of anger is a natural response to being hurt or wrongfully accused of something. But, it is what we do beyond the anger that becomes sin. If I begin to talk about the person that hurt me to someone not involved in the situation, then I have taken my anger to the sin of gossip. If I CHOOSE not to forgive, I sin. You can't do anything about the fact that people hurt you but you can control your response.
You can always tell when you have not fully dealt with hurt and anger against someone. When the person's name is mentioned or you think about them and the anger comes back or you feel crossways inside...you still need to work through the PROCESS of forgiveness with your emotions. I choose to forgive by faith; my feelings at that point have nothing to do with it. Just because I still “feel” angry or hurt doesn’t mean I haven’t forgiven. Forgiveness isn’t a feeling but a choice. If I don't choose to forgive God CAN NOT forgive me, Matthew 6:15 AMP 15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.
When you begin to pray for your enemies, people who have hurt and abused you, your feelings will change towards them. It.is.a.process. It doesn't happen overnight.
I remember a time when I had family members coming against me and at the same time some Pastors who had really done some terrible things to us. I can’t describe the anger that I felt. Their treatment toward us was SO unjust. We had not done anything to warrant their actions.
I knew that to be right with God I HAD to forgive them, and I wanted to but I just couldn’t seem to get past the “feelings” I was having. The Word says to pray for your enemies and those who despitefully use you….ouch!! That is really hard!
So as I walked my neighborhood in the mornings, I began to pray for them. It was really hard at first and I didn’t have any positive feelings to support me. But I kept doing it. Emotions don't just go away. Emotions/feelings need time to adjust and come in line with my decision to forgive. Holding offense and being in strife with anyone is NOT even an option for a Christian. We have to FIGHT daily to walk out of offense.
Our anger will not change any situation in our lives; it only hurts us. If we let it fester in our hearts it will eventually destroy everything we love and then destroy us. Don’t justify it; hold onto it or excuse it just learn to let.it.go.
Ephesians 4:26-27,31, James 1:19-20, Proverbs 29:11, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Colossians 3:8, James 4:1-2, Matthew 5:22, Psalms 37:8-9