SEEK GOD'S SOLUTION TO AN ANGER PROBLEM
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“But now you
yourselves are to put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy
language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off
the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in
knowledge according to the image of Him who created him”—Colossians 3:8 -11
In our
scripture reading for today, we find that Christians are called to put aside "anger, wrath, malice, slander, and
abusive speech." The command
is clear, but the process of achieving and maintaining freedom from anger can
seem confusing and overwhelming.
To deal
with anger, the first step is to recognize anger in your heart. For those who are readily able to express
their feelings, this may seem unnecessary, but for those who have buried their
anger deep within, an extended time of soul-searching before the Lord may be
necessary. Although hidden, the cancer
of resentment will grow and slowly infest the heart. This growth of anger has caused people to
miss out on God’s plans and purpose for their life. To remedy anger, allow the sharp sword of
God's Word to do some surgery so that it can be cut off, “For the word of God powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword,
piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
The
next step is to confess unrighteous anger as sin and then begin to deal with it
immediately. Because anger is often a response to hurt, care must be taken not
to excuse or defend it in the name of justice. According to Frank and Ida Mae Hammond,
authors of Pigs in the Parlor, anger is linked to demon groupings of
bitterness, resentment, hatred, unforgiveness, violence temper, retaliation and
murder, and is associated with perfection, pride, vanity ego frustration,
criticism, irritability, and intolerance; all which may need to be dealt with
in deliverance. Although someone may have sinned against you,
holding onto anger in response is also a sin.
Scripture tells us to overcome
evil with good, not to repay it, “Repay
no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil
with good” (Romans 12:17, 21).
Management
of an irate lifestyle is not optional; anger must be put aside. We can not
expect to live in the new nature Christ has created for us while retaining our
"right" to be angry and hold grudges.
God's solution to an anger problem is a
new Christ-like personality which He has created for us. Our responsibility is
to put it on and seek deliverance when necessary. He
invites us to cooperate with Him in this process of transformation. With each step of obedience, the peace of
Christ will increase and anger will diminish.
Prayer—Father I ask You to help me deal
with anger immediately when it comes, and please help me to walk in Your
meekness, gentleness, and kindness. Father
I receive by faith all of Your capabilities in dealing with anger when it
arises in m life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
