7 Sins Of A Disengaged Dad: 7 Day Bible Reading PlanНамуна

Anger

I’m going to say something you’ve probably never heard from a Christian perspective or possibly any perspective…it’s okay to be angry. 

Jesus got angry (Matthew 21:11). God the Father gets angry (Numbers 11:1-2 and countless other OT references). Anger in itself is not a bad or sinful thing. But if you are like me and the rest of the human race, and I’m guessing you are, then there is a pretty significant probability  your anger is not Holy anger but rather selfish anger. 

Anger becomes a serious issue depending on what makes us angry and how we respond in that anger. If our anger has nothing to do with the matters that make God angry—child abuse, errant teaching, lying, gossip among believers, etc.—then there’s a problem with our anger. 

While anger is a problem, it isn’t the main one. The main trouble is what we become when we grow angry. Most of us tend to Hulk-out, turn green, and lose all self-control. Well, maybe not the turning green bit, that might be limited to Avengers, but we can certainly relate to losing self-control. When we become angry we lose control of our tongue and actions leading us to say and do things we always regret when the rage fades. This, in turn, requires us to go back to those we wronged and apologize (and some of us even skip this last step). It’s a mess.

So how do we deal with this anger issue? Our first two steps should be:

Look Inward—What are the triggers that really set us off? Long lines? Traffic? College football team blowing a huge lead in the fourth quarter? (that last one might just be me) Identifying the triggers of our anger allows us to take a step back when they arise. 

Look Godward—Taking a second to pray in moments of anger moves our focus off us and onto God. Because most anger is selfish, taking the spotlight off of us tends to cool down the situation. Plus, only God can change a heart. The best way to put off anger is to put on forgiveness, understanding, and self-control. 

Prayer

God, will you help me see where I’m stressed out and angry so I can get ahead of it? Help me see and love what you want. Teach me to die to myself daily so that I only care about what You care about. Amen.

Reflection Question

What triggers your anger? What are you going to do next time you sense your anger bubbling to the surface?