Anger
There are people who never seem to let anything bother them or anger them. There are others who always seem mad or angry. I am definitely somewhere in the middle. There are things that make me angry and then there are things that “frustrate me”, which is probably anger on a lower level. I get really angry when I’m lied too. I get really angry when someone hurts a child. I get really angry when someone is treated badly because of the color of their skin or their family of origin. I could make a list of things that make me angry that I believe are justified. It’s the other stupid stuff that I get angry about that is wrong. I can get angry when I get “cut off” in traffic, or simply have to deal with a lot of traffic. I get angry at the weather. I get angry at people who don’t even know me because they don’t do their job as I think they should do it. I am learning just how silly and stupid some of my “anger issues” are.
David pens a small verse in Psalm 4 that really jumped out at me and made me think about my anger issues. Check this out….
4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent. (Psalm 4:4 NLT)
I must learn to only be angry at the things that make God angry. Jesus was angry when He cleansed the temple. I believe God gets angry at sin. My everyday walking around life does not need to be consumed with anger. I must keep my anger in check. My mom used to challenge me to count to 10 before speaking, when I’m angry. David is saying to “think about it overnight…”. I do think it’s best to walk carefully through any conversation or decision when I’m hot with anger. I do believe that anger is a healthy emotion IF it’s managed will. The issue for me is the “managing part”. I’m thankful that I’ve “mellowed some” over the years. I realize that I should not try to “win” every disagreement or discussion. I should keep my anger checked closely by love. Love can diffuse anger very quickly and it’s a very healthy way to live and grow. I believe God created me to love. I believe that He wants to expand my ability to love and show great patience with others, just like He showed patience with me. I’m not going to let anger control me and crowd out love. I want to let love win the battle for my heart. I want to be controlled by love every day!
Pressing On!
Dwayne