Angry?

Have you ever reacted and it got you trouble?

I know I have, and the aftermath never feels good. What’s crazy about this is we know we shouldn’t react, but we do when we’re angry enough. From these moments, the people around us get the brunt of our wrath which causes more collateral damage.

Studies show that when we get angry, our IQ drops, meaning the ability to reason and think critically isn’t available. This is why we can react in dumb ways, and then after we calm down, we feel the weight of what we did.

When I think about the anger I’ve navigated, there’s no doubt I’ve reacted in ways I’m embarrassed about today. How about you?

But this is why the Bible gives us a plan when we’re angry. If we follow it, we’ll be empowered to respond versus to react. This is how we can be angry and sin not. This is how we healthily navigate anger and not give it a foothold in our lives.

“And don’t sin by letting anger control you.”

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭26‬

What’s remarkable is that God knows we navigate anger, and instead of leaving us with no hope, we have a plan in his word to be healthy as we navigate anger.

” Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. 5. Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.”  

Psalms‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭5‬

Notice the plan God gives us. It’s possible that it doesn’t have to control us when we’re angry. Here’s how.

First, be quiet and think about it overnight.

We’ve all said things that are dumb and when we’re angry, it seems we do it more. But, God says for us to be quiet. 

So, when we’re angry, don’t speak. Be quiet and let God begin to move on you. Being silent is better than uttering nonsense. 

This is what I do, and it’s helped big time. We don’t have to say something right away when we’re angry. We don’t have to engage, and most of the time, we probably shouldn’t.

So when you’re angry, be quiet and let God help you.

Second, offer things to God with the right heart.

After we have a night to think it through and pray about it, we go to God and offer him sacrifices. We do this with a right heart and when we follow his plan, it helps our heart be clean and stay focused on him.

In these moments of anger we can offer God the sacrifices of a few things.

Forgiveness. We come to him, and we choose to forgive. Because we love God, we choose to forgive others. This is how we move through the anger and not let it get rooted in our hearts.

Worship. We come to him and worship him for who he is. We give him our hearts when we’re angry and when we’re not. Worship is what we do because of who he is. It’s not based on who we are or how we feel. Worship is about him, to him, and for him. 

Prayer. We pray to him, seeking his help and grace as we navigate anger. Prayer empowers Jesus to help us, allowing His spirit to change us. There’s something powerful about worship. It changes us and can change the situation we’re walking through. 

We offer these things to God when we follow his plan to navigate anger. Being quiet and thinking about it helps deliver these things with a clean heart in faith. 

So, are you angry today?

You can do this to take your next steps and be clean as you filter through anger.

This is precisely what I did today, and it helped me walk through my anger in a Godly and healthy way. 

If I can do it, you can do it. 

Undoubtedly, we will be angry, but it doesn’t have to control us. This is possible through Jesus.

Have a great day and the best is yet to come,

PD