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But according to Scripture, that’s not the only choice we have. We can’t eliminate the feeling of anger, but we can make a choice about how we respond to that feeling. As you might expect, Jesus gave us the perfect example. Since our anger so often revolves around hurt or perceived injustice, Jesus experienced the worst hurt and worst injustice imaginable, yet look at His amazing response:
When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly — I Peter 2:23
Most people feel that to not give full vent to their anger is to somehow be passive in the moment, but Christ shows us just the opposite: His choice to avoid “bitterness, rage, anger, malice and slander” was an active choice to relinquish control to God and let Him deal with the circumstances. It was incredible self-control over the emotion of anger that He undoubtedly felt (it’s not a sin to be angry)! Letting anger sinfully spill out is easy, my 3 year old child does it to perfection almost every day. Restraining one’s self, however — choosing to control the emotion — is a deed that only God can help someone accomplish and it’s something He longs to do in the life of everyone of His children!
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| Author: Joe | Tags: 1 Peter 2:23, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 2 Peter 1:3-4, anger, compassion, Ecclesiastes 7:9, Ephesians 4:25-32, Exodus 34:6, gentle response, Gentleness, James 1:19, kindness, Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 16:32, Psalm 37:8, Tension, wrath | ||
wow. Lord, give me the strength to deal appropriately with my anger and help me to teach my children the appropriate responses, too.
- kimberlyhaes, March 1st, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I really enjoyed the lesson on anger, it can rule your life until you turn your reactions over to God…He really can help!
- luxrm, March 1st, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Going to a public high school many times through out the day i hear teenagers making fun of other kids. One of the things that really bothers me is when people are mean to the under – dogs, it just kills me. Last week i changed science classes and today was my second day in class. I am surrounded by five new people and during class they would just make fun of the other people in the class. It made me sooo extremely mad. And i wanted to lash out at them and throw insluts at them to make them experience the pain that they were causing on other people…but i knew that that wasn’t exactly how God wanted me to deal with the situation, and that by flipping out on them the Lord’s love wouldn’t exactly shine through me like He wanted. So instead i didn’t say anything..which i don’t think is quite the right answer either…but i’m praying that God will show me what exactly he wants me to say to the kids around me in a gentle way that will help get my point across.
- Yak, March 1st, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Amazing how God works. My goal for lent involved controlling aspects of my Anger, and then here this is. God is wonderful in how he helps us when we need it most.
- WhiteTieEnt, March 5th, 2010 at 12:26 pm