By Chris WittsFriday 22 Apr 2022Morning Devotions with Chris WittsDevotionsReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
Today I want to take another look at this anger issue. Why are so many of us angry all the time? What’s going on here? Rage is the word I’m thinking of, and immediately I think of road rage.
You’ve seen this on our roads? I certainly have. I know someone who was dragged out of their car punched in the face over a driving incident, and it was a frightening experience for him. But this sort of thing can happen to anyone. Tailgating is a common incident, and we drivers need to be careful on the road. Drivers are in such a hurry. They can’t tolerate any mistakes and one small error brings out the rage in unacceptable ways. And have you noticed the number of shops and stores with a sign
abuse towards our staff will not be tolerated. I think many of us have never learned how to manage our emotions, and that includes anger management.
No one really teaches that to you at school, and parents often exhibit their own traits of uncontrolled anger or even harsh punishment. Keeping your anger in check is important when bringing up children. The problem is that society encourages us to avoid conflict, be nice and say yes when you really mean no. So no wonder we
struggle with anger because it’s such a taboo emotion. But we all get angry. How well do we manage it? It seems our stress levels are so high these days that we can’t tolerate everyday disappointments, even the minor disappointments. And we fly off the handle at relatively minor frustrations.
The Bible’s got some wonderful instructions about dealing with anger. Let’s not forget the importance of spirituality. You and I have got a soul that is the invisible part of us. We are designed by God. We might ignore this for many years, but there will come a time when we want to pray to God. A higher power. And the Christian faith explains that God made us to enjoy a relationship with Him. Yes your emotions are a valued part of life and anger management is ultimately linked to spiritual stability.
So what is it that keeps your life stable? Do you enjoy life? When we maintain a daily relationship with God, our problems can seem less overwhelming. In other words, living with Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour keeps everything under control, including your anger. The living God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit gives you a reason to live and to be a happier person and not lashing out at others all the time. Maintaining a sense of worth because you know I’m a son or a daughter of God. He loves me and values me for who I am, warts and all. I don’t need to lose my temper at the smallest inconvenience because He is the most important person in the world.
People and circumstances can get us down. It’s the same as the psalmist who said in Psalm 56:4 in the Old Testament: “in God, I place my trust. I shall not let fear come in for what can men do to me?”
When your whole life is based on what others think of you there’s no doubt that you’re going to get angry. When your emotions hinge on the opinions of everybody else,
you will be afraid of being rejected, criticised or being ignored. But a God-based self image is different. I know that God accepts me as I am with my weaknesses, but I
can live with that assurance that The Almighty God will guide me and everything that happens to me. And especially in my relationships
with others who are different to me. When those who might upset me cause me to be angry, I can draw upon God’s strength instead of my own.
I strive to have a God-focus rather than a human focus. I’m not saying it’s easy. It can be a struggle, but it’s worth it.
In the end, let me also say that anger is not a sin. It’s what you do with it that can lead to sin. And the violent rage which explodes in seconds is not good, not helpful both to you and the other person. With God on your side, anger can be kept under control, the Bible says when angry. Do not sin. Do not ever let your wrath, your exasperation or your fury last until the sun goes down. Leave no such room or foothold for the Devil to get an opportunity. That’s in Ephesians 4:26-27.
These verses don’t say ‘never get angry’, we’re all going to be angry at times. The problem isn’t feeling angry at times. The problem
comes when we act on the feelings. You can’t control what others do, but you can, with God’s help, stop the anger from becoming sin. Get in touch with your own feelings. Take responsibility for them.
Heavenly Father. There are times when we’re going to feel angry and even a sense of rage. But, Lord, before we get ourselves into trouble, may your Holy Spirit stop us and help us to go into a different tack so that were under your control instead of our own control. Make me a person Lord who is stable in all my emotions. I pray for Jesus sake. Amen.