June 24, 2009

Anger Is A Powerful Emotion

(Eph 4:26-27, 30-32)

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and
do not give the devil an opportunity.

... And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for
the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away
from you, along with all malice

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as
God in Christ also has forgiven you"

Anger is a powerful emotion it can strike suddenly, taking over our thoughts
with violent force.

At times, it seems uncontrollable. And it's devastating effects can leave
your faith, your family or your career in ruins.

But there's a way to break free from anger's grasp and learn how to handle
the daily situations that can lead to anger.

There are as many causes and expressions of anger as there are people.

But a common element is usually lurking beneath anger:

things are not turning out the way we would like.

Perhaps your boss did not deliver on a promised raise ...

or your child refused to listen to your repeated instructions ...

or your spouse just did not take the time to listen.

At first, this anger is usually directed toward others.

But eventually, we begin to point a finger at God.

Like Job's wife, when facing overwhelming anger, we want to "curse God land
die!" (Job 2:9).

Unfortunately, despite all the energy we invest in anger,

it cannot get us a raise, or make our children obey, or restore a broken
marriage.

Most importantly, the Bible says,

"the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God" (James 1:20).

Even worse, anger eventually seeks an outlet in hurtful actions,

breeding more anger and creating a destructive cycle for our lives

. We are wise not to under estimate the power of anger.

If anger is controlling you, there is only one way to find lasting freedom

- by yielding control of your life to Jesus Christ.

Anger is ultimately a matter of control, we get angry,

and our anger drives a wedge between us and God -

keeping us from drawing closer to His love. In our anger we are rejecting
God's love

- accusing God of not caring.

But God is love (1 John 4:8), and the Bible says His plans for us are
always good (Jer. 29:11)

This plan begins with a personal relationship with Jesus.

John 3:16 says,

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

God desires that you will live with him forever!

When you come to God, repenting of your sin,

God miraculously gives you new birth that will enable you to walk in His
love.

Your new life in Christ will not immediately bring an end to your anger.

Each day will bring situations tempting you to anger.

Here are a few steps you can take to keep your anger under God's control.

Recognize the source of your anger.

Is it a person?

Or a situation?

Or perhaps you're angry at God.

Be honest with yourself and the Lord about what is making you angry.

Repent and ask God to cleanse you.

Anger that is based in selfishness and control is sin, and the cure for sin
is repentance.

Ask God to forgive you for your anger and give you peace.

"If we confess our sins," the Bible says,

"< God< is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

Forgive, forgive, forgive. Forgiveness is perhaps the greatest remedy for
anger.

As He hung dying on the cross at Calvary,

Jesus had every right to be angry toward those who placed Him there.

Yet He asked His Father to forgive them. We are called to do the same.

Daily, give God control of your life. Job had every reason to be angry.

But despite his circumstances, he refused to shake his fist at God.

When his wife told him to curse God, he responded

"Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10).

The call of discipleship requires us to surrender control of our lives to
God. He is faithful.

You can trust that He will work out all things for good (Romans 8:28).

Don't let anger fester.

You may think that by suppressing your anger, it will simply go away.

But anger must be dealt with or it will grow like a cancer.

Especially in the relationships that are most precious to you,

follow this simple advice from Apostle Paul: "do not let the sun go down on
your anger" (Eph. 4:26)