Anger Mgmt. #2

Anger is not the problem because it is completely normal and usually healthy. God even gets angry! I encourage you to look up Nahum 1:2-6. It clearly says that God vents His wrath, which means that there is a clear way of handling anger. Nahum also proves that anger is not sinful because it came from within God, making anger something righteous in a sense. If you say that God is holy then you must admit that there can be righteous anger as well.

The problem lies within mismanagement of the anger. Mismanagement of anger leads to rage and conflict in our personal relationships. We all know what anger is and we all have felt its affects both positively and negatively. Anger can make you feel good and it’s typical to think its bad for you, but it’s not necessarily bad to feel angry. Anger is very complex; most Christians see it as a negative emotional state when it can be a necessary solution to handling a situation. Built up anger can cause damage to the human body such as high blood pressure levels and built up hormones and adrenaline.

The trick to anger is how to handle the level of its intensity. Psalm 103:8-10 gives us a taste in how to first approach anger. God basically says good anger thinks before it releases since it ought to develop slowly but not be contained forever. In theory the intensity of anger at a small level should build slowly. I too often don’t practice this step because I let my emotions get the best of me. I failed at both ends of this step since I usually blow up too quickly because I've contained my anger far too long. Keeping the attitude of not showing anger in order to be nice all my life hasn't always paid off because most people don’t think I have a backbone today because of it. I never showed my anger towards the people who persecuted me. I created a prison for my anger which created a bigger problem that still exists today because this prison lets out feelings of regret, anxiety, and anger. At the time I did what Sunday school taught me- “turn your cheek.” There may be a place and time for that but I don’t believe that God wants us to suffer in our own anger. 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 shows that God at first held His anger but even then He let go of it in order to release something that was arousing in Him. I see this as something Christians should talk more about. The intensity of anger is a discussion that Christians should have. The Bible mentions the word “anger” 268 times and that doesn't even include such words connected to anger such as wrath, fury, and rage.

With the intensity of anger Christians should understand how to tolerate anger because we might receive anger when we now so freely express it. So often the underlying theme in anger is “things ought to be my way.” Well sometimes things can’t be our way and we need to be able to control that anger so that it doesn't become a monster that we can’t handle. Communicate your emotions at a healthy level doing this will take the edge off and solutions to respect and build upon each individual’s life will occur. Ephesians 4:25-27 says “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body." “In your anger do not sin.” "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." You still can have anger when being tolerable but the intensity of the anger can at least be controlled. Don’t let the devil have a foothold by containing your anger rather release its intensity in healthy and honest behavior. I think Sunday school might be getting a little deeper after I’m through with it.