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Love is Not
Hot
Headed
"Anyone can become angry—that is easy.
But to be angry with the right person,
to the right degree, at the right time,
for the right purpose, and in the right
way—this is not easy."
- Aristotle
Anger
is a strong emotion. It can prompt
us to change, it can motivate us to
action, and it can drive us to do
wrong. Just like happiness, sadness,
joy, and fear, anger is an emotion that
is natural to human beings. It resides in all
of us. Often triggered by an experience,
anger usually occurs when someone
offends us--whether they intend to do it
or not. Anger can be overtly expressed, or it can
simmer underneath the surface.
For
many, the emotion of anger is considered
to be a bad thing. However, when
we look at what the Holy Bible has to
say, we find that the emotion of anger is not
condemned.
How we deal with anger makes the
difference. We have the power of choice to work
through anger, control it, and move past
it.
Be Angry
God
gets angry, and He has deposited the
capacity to become angry into humans.
There is a difference between God's
anger and ours. God's anger is
always based on His righteousness while
ours is often rooted in selfishness.
Therefore, it is very important for us
to resist the urge to speak, act, or
make decisions in the heat of anger.
God
knows that we get angry, and He
validates the presence of this emotion
in us. However, we are told to
control our behavior when we experience
anger. How do we control it? In
the book of James, chapter 1 verses 19
and 20, we are told:
"Everyone
should be quick to listen, slow to speak
and slow to become angry, for man's
anger does not bring about the righteous
life that God desires."
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In his book, The Angry Christian, Andrew
Lester tells us "anger that is expressed destructively
toward others, ourselves, or God
adversely affects our spiritual journey.
Anger's power can destroy our health,
our relationships, our community, and
our sense of God's presence and grace."
An
angry man stirs up dissension, and a
hot-tempered one commits many sins.
The
Holy Bible
Book of Proverbs
Chapter 29 verse 22
And Sin Not
In the
fourth chapter of the book of Ephesians
we are told not to sin--or to do
wrong--in our anger. We are also
instructed "do
not let the sun go down
while we are still angry."
God's word reminds us to remember that
we are also human, so be ready to extend
grace to those who offend.
As we
deal with our anger, it is important to
have a realistic perspective about the
situation. Prayer is vital in the
process because it allows us to gain
insight that our own emotion tends to
block. As God reveals the appropriate
actions to take we can confidently move
forward in resolving the issues that
trigger our anger.
When we
know that our behavior has offended
someone else, we are to go to them and
reconcile. When we have been
offended, we have to determine the
appropriate response. If the offender is open to
discussion, and it does not place us in
a harmful position, we can go to them
and talk about it. If the offender
is intent on committing harm, or
refuses
to discuss the matter, we can choose to
forgive them, let it go, and move
forward. As we extend mercy, grace, and
forgiveness to those who offend us, we
have a responsibility not to remain in
harms way.
We must
exercise wisdom as we decide
how we will interact with others. We do
not have to behave in a rash, harsh
manner. We never have to seek
revenge. God is a righteous judge
who
promises to avenge purposeful wrong
done toward us.
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