In Your Anger….

What do you do when you get mad? Do you get angry and explode on everyone and anyone in your path? Do you have triggers that send you over the edge into anger? 

I personally have dealt with anger that many times turned into rage. No, I am not a killer but if you pushed me, I turned into something and someone that had no filter and you surely couldn't reel me in once I erupted. My Pastor at the time, my aunt, Pastor Barbara Cameron worked with me for many years in teaching and encouraging me to do the work to be delivered from my anger. Because when I was in my anger….I most definitely fell short of the glory of God. And I knew it.

Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. Everyone has a capacity for anger. Most of us have very normal (even healthy) flashes of anger when we witness cruelty, injustice, betrayal and other transgressions of people. God created our emotions so anger certainly has a righteous role. However, anger is so common place that we often accept is as the normal. But, practically every day we see people getting angry – in traffic, in stores, on the news, in movies, and even in our homes. We all know what anger is, and we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. I have seen its effect in  many areas of my life. Anger can make you feel as though your at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion. 

So what do we do when we're in our anger? Scripture has much to say about how to control our anger.

The book of James wrote (1:19) says , ". . . let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger." He isn't saying that anger is wrong. Of course, we're going to get angry; that's just part of our creation package. Essentially, James just said, "Don't be quick-tempered."

The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians almost the same thing: "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger . . ." (Ephesians 4:26).

Like James, he was realistic. After all, anger is part of life; just don't let it carry you into falling short. In these passages and many others, the Bible is basically saying to lead a balanced life.

Solomon wrote one of the great principles of balanced living: "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city." (Proverbs 16:32)

As in many other scriptures, the issue is not anger, but how much it controls us. Being slow to anger is a mark of strength, mastery, and leadership. Self control (ruling your spirit) brings more leadership and success than being able to capture a city.

We must learn to avoid losing our temper over all the daily things that agitate us and learn to overcome extreme bitterness in our heart that resulted from being angry, hurt or betrayed.

Overcoming ungodly anger won’t happen overnight, but if we turn our emotions over to God and rely on His strength, we will find that the Lord will allow us to be in many situations where we are slighted, mistreated, or inconvenienced. This is God's way of dealing with our self-life and our temper. God's purpose in all these situations is that we learn to get out of ourselves and anger and get into the Spirit of patience and self-denying, gladly letting God have His own way in our life.

~Yolanda D.

Enter Into Prayer

Heavenly Father, I come to You now in the Name of my Lord and Savior Christ Jesus, life seems so unjust, so unfair and Lord I have directed anger toward others in my life or held anger inside of me. I confess that as sin and ask You to forgive me and take all the anger away. Heal any wounds that I have inflicted, through my words and actions, in others and myself. Help me to speak sweet words and healing, for I know that pleases You. Where I have shown anger toward others I confess it to you as sin. Bring Your restoration to every situation where it is needed. Please help me to dwell on the good and the positive in my life. I know that it is You who examines our hearts. Search the inner depths of my heart and expose anything that is not of You so I can be set free of it.

My past relationships have ended in strife, anger, rejection, resentment, and bitterness. Father, help me to let go of all bitterness and resentment. You are the One Who binds up and heals the broken-hearted. I receive Your anointing that breaks and destroys every yoke of bondage. I receive emotional healing by faith according to Your Word, Isaiah 53:5, “and with His stripes we are healed”.  I thank You for giving me the grace to stand firm until the process is complete.  The pain of rejection is almost more than I can bear but with the help of the Holy Spirit, I get rid of` all resentments, bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander, along with every form of malice. I desire to be kind and passionate to others, forgiving them, just as in Christ, You forgave me. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy, for I know that without holiness, no one will see You. I chose to see to it that I do not miss Your grace and that no roots of resentment or bitterness grow up within me to cause trouble. I will watch and pray that I will not enter into temptation or cause others to stumble.

Thank You, Lord, that You will redeem my soul in peace from the battle that is against me. I believe that You, the God of peace will crush the enemy under my feet. Help me to live righteously because I know there is a connection between obedience to Your ways and peace. Help me to depart from thoughts of anger and bouts with depression; help me to seek peace and actively pursue it. Thank You that You will take away all anger in me and keep me in perfect peace, because my mind is fixed on You Father.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Heavenly Father, I know that You will watch over Your Word to perform it and that whom the Son has set free is free indeed. I declare that I have overcome anger, resentment and bitterness by the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the word of my testimony. Amen.