Slow to Anger – Also, a Fruit of the Spirit (Part 2)
So, how must we deal with anger when it can be so harmful? Anger not only distracts us from hearing the truth of God’s word, but can be a poison that will make our heart and soul sick. It can be so bad that it will lead a person to become involved in an activity that can do great harm. Harm not only to him or herself, but to others in the family or in society . For example, Anger can build up and become so destructive that you do something that can never be reconciled, like when Cain killed his brother Abel. “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; fret not yourself, it leads only to evil doing.” Psalm 37:8
What is a way to control anger? Some say that getting your child involved in an activity to help relieve some of his or her pent up anger. That does help some and is a good outlet, as I saw during my coaching with many kids. But the way to control anger is by building a strong personal relationship with God. It is really the only way our hearts are softened and we find peace by the help of the Holy Spirit. The words of C.H Spurgeon are helpful….” A man or woman who has a strong mind can bear to be insulted and only resent the wrong when a sense of right demands action! The weak mind is irritated at a little insult, the strong mind bears it like a rock and withstands the insults, though a thousand breakers dash upon it, and cast their pitiful malice in spray upon its summit.”
We all face the consequences of not dealing with the sin in our lives. “But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Genesis 4:7 Can anger be a useful tool or a force for good to use in our lives? Sin that does not go unchecked not only hurts us, but also our family and most importantly our relationship with God. So to be angry with sin is good. If you are not angry at sin, then you will continue to participate in it. As Alistair Begg says “Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” Sin can start slowly from just thinking and progress down a path of desire that leads to destruction. Sin must be removed to the fullest extent. It must be removed like a surgeon’s knife slices cancer and only stops when he/she gets “clear margins” on the edges of the tumor to know that it has been cleared.
If your heart is truly being transformed by the working of the Holy Spirit, then when you are aware of your anger, you will take the steps to eliminate it. It always takes our dependence on God’s grace for the necessary help to rid it. In conclusion, we must deal with anger since it is a threat not to be ignored. How do we protect ourselves from its harm? Seek and hold onto “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever I’d of good repute, if there is excellence and worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 Only then will we find the real peace and joy that God has for all of us. Amen
God’s peace will make it well with my soul; https://youtu.be/jcp6w4zaW7U