Have you ever stopped to think about why we get angry? What’s at the root of our basic temper tantrum? It’s easiest to discern the heart of the matter with children. They pitch a fit when they want something and we tell them “no”. They set up a howl when it’s time to go home, because they’d rather continue having fun. They use angry words when they want their own way. Selfishness is at the root of their targeted tirades.
Are we so different? We get angry when we are inconvenienced. We get upset when we are disappointed, frustrated, and impatient. We lose our temper when people disobey us (when we don’t get our way). Some of use get into the habit of anger because we’ve learned it’s the fastest way to get what we want. We’ve learned it’s a handy tool, because many people will relent, just to appease us. We’re still losing our temper for entirely selfish reasons, even though we’re adults.
5. Okay. That’s all pretty clear. Losing our temper is a bad thing, and we should not let our anger control us. Any advice on how that is done? Take a look at these three verses-what word is used for dealing with anger in each?
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret-it only causes harm.”
“Let all the bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”
“But now you yourself are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.”
6. So does this means that we can never be angry-that all anger is a sin? Well, no. Let’s look at what Psalm 4:4 says:
“Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.”
7. It’s impossible to say, “I will never be angry again.” We need to set a realistic goal for ourselves. In Nehemiah 9:17, one of God’s character traits is being “slow to anger”. That’s the ticket! Proverbs 16:32 considers this praiseworthy:
“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”
-Women of Faith: Study Guide - Managing Your Moods
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