Anger Management 101

As I look at the news, browse different social media outlets, listen to the radio, read the newspaper, even when I shop at Wal-Mart, it’s safe to say anger is a growing crisis in our culture. It seems the smallest things can send us into an uproar, almost as if we’ve totally forgotten Jesus said love your neighbor as you love yourself. And we can’t forget the golden rule we learned in VBS, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you! But as I studied the word of God for last weeks message on anger, I found some interesting scriptures on how to handle this destructive emotion. Notice, I said handle and not destroy, because as we learned the Bible didn’t suggest that as Christians we shouldn’t get angry, however, it does give us a few pointers on how to control that anger. A person may make you angry, but remember they can never make you react.

The key to anger management is learning to control your reactions before you encounter an anger-provoking situation. Let’s look at these practical verses I’ve found and see what the Bible tells us to do.

Step 1: Stop Before You React
A person who quickly loses his temper does foolish things, but a person with understanding remains calm. Proverbs 14:17

You know the old saying, “engage your brain before putting your mouth in gear.”

Step 2: Ask the Questions “Why am I angry?” and “What do I want?”
“My child, if you take my words to heart…if you pay close attention to wisdom and let your mind reach for understanding, if you ask for insight, if you ask out loud for understanding, if you search for wisdom…then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord” Proverbs 2:1-5

Step 3: Listen
“Dear friends, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Anger will not help you live a good life as God wants.” James 1:19-20

“Even fools seem smart when they are quiet.” Proverbs 17:28

“Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32

Step 4: Rethink
“For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.” Proverbs 30:33

Jesus said, “What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts…” Mark 7:20-21

Step 5: Proceed With Caution
“Go ahead and be angry…but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry, and don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.” Ephesians 4:26

This 5-step process may seem impossible for some of us but it can be done and if done continuously it will yield great rewards. Remember as I stated at the beginning of today’s devotional, a person may make you angry, but they can never make you react.

If you’ve faced a few situations where it was difficult to control your temper, and you reacted out of anger, but today you are looking for true help; in addition to the 5 steps mentioned above pray this prayer with me:

Dear Father, Help me to be Christlike in this hostile world. Lord help me understand people may make me angry in the inside but they cannot control my reactions on the outside. Help me to react to situations as Christ would react. Lord, comfort those who have anger bottled up inside and help them to defuse the hostility. Lord, thank you again for providing me with your Word. Thanks you mostly for your Son Jesus Christ, who came and showed us how to live life right and who died for our sins, so that we may have eternal life with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pastor J