How to overcome anger as a christian
How to overcome anger is a very widely discussed subject among Christians and other groups. And for us believers of the way of the Lord, we are regularly admonished to deal with anger. Take a look at the following scripture quoting Jesus.
But I’m telling you, if you hold anger in your heart toward a fellow believer, you are subject to judgment. And whoever demeans and insults a fellow believer is answerable to the congregation. And whoever calls down curses upon a fellow believer is in danger of being sent to a fiery hell.
Matthew 5:22 (TPT)
Holding anger towards a fellow believer makes you subject to judgement. And that is God\’s judgement by the way. So deal with anger early on. Don\’t wait until it begins to get out of hand.
In the human emotional hierarchy anger is way up there. Very high on the scale. It\’s such a powerful force which can cause havoc in one\’s life. Anger has been known to cause destruction in a person\’s family, career, business and faith. In some people anger can leave a trail of ruins especially when it reaches uncontrollable heights.
We have one of our extended family member who has become estranged and almost treated like an outcast on account of fits of anger. This young lady does not see eye to eye with her own mother as things stand now. That\’s how bad bouts of anger can get, to the extent of destroying the fabric of family life.
Fear in most cases is the root of anger
Here\’s a case of anger which was a consequence of fear.
\”I recognized what the cause of his anger was – and it’s always the same with any kind of anger. At the bottom of all kinds of aggression and hatred there is always fear. In this case it was his fear of not being recognized, the fear of losing something, the fear of feeling small and insignificant. It’s the ego that fears injury or attack, and so it reacts the only way it knows how. That fear is expressed as resistance to life, and comes out as anger, hatred and violence\”.
an excerpt from Mastering Yourself
Here is an earlier post I did and can be related, 4 gripping types of fear.
But, how do you deal with anger?
Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget.
Proverbs 19: 11 (MSG)
OK! How smart are you? Let me assume you are a smart human being. And if you are, the bible says of you that you know how to hold your tongue and your grandeur is to forgive and forget. How cool is that! Smart people forgive. And forget. I love that!
Sometimes anger can be so hidden and be triggered when circumstances are ripe. It may be in a relationship, a job or even at school. Someone once told this story about how they used to tell a fiend to follow what was their heart\’s passion. The advice was for the friend to follow their passion and dream in a certain calling or purpose for their life. The call was pretty evident but they chose otherwise. In the end it was disaster.
Unfortunately this friend did not heed the advice. They chose to stick it out in a job that they did not like, and not even cut out for! In the long run resentment, frustration and ultimately anger set in and it began to get at them. So what was hidden now surfaced. We can only imagine the outcome of that anger.
Sometimes it\’s a simple decision we need to make in order to overcome anger. My big book of wisdom says, \”a fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over\”. Or \”Don’t be quick to fly off the handle. Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head\”.
The Bible has answers for all situations man experiences. For a believer, there are lots of teachings contained therein. All we need to do is to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn to meditate on His word. And in no time anger will not be an issue.
If you are not a christian yet, and you have an anger issue, I invite you to turn your life around by renewing your mind and accepting the way of the master, Jesus. I can help you to find the way. Let\’s connect. I am here to help you find your way to Jesus.
Anger is not just an emotional thing as the world puts it. Anger is spiritual. It is an area of darkness which can only be dealt with by the spiritual light, the word of God.
The word of God is spirit and is life. When we meditate on this word it brings light into every area of darkness in our lives. The entrance of the word of God into your life is a lamp to your feet. It will direct your ways including how to deal with anger.
Did you know the reason God did not allow Moses to enter the promised land was because of anger? In their journey in the wilderness towards the promised land, the children of Israel demanded water from Moses as their leader. This was the second time Moses had this experience with his people.
And this time around, like before, he was very angry with the people\’s continued grumbling. Again lie before he spoke to the Lord. In answer, God asked Moses to strike the rock once again with his rod to bring out water for the people to drink.
But because Moses was very angry at the people\’s complaints and murmurings, he struck the rock twice. The water did gush out quite alright but he was in disobedience. Instead of striking the rock once as he was instructed, he hit the rock twice. God told Moses, you will see the promised land with your eyes but because you disobeyed my instruction you will not enter therein.
Just one act of disobedience brought judgement on Moses. And yet he was God\’s anointed and trusted servant! Are we any different? No. That\’s why we need to deal with anger. At it\’s height it can bring destructive disobedience in our lives.
Are you struggling with how to overcome anger? Jesus is the answer for the world today. Do you want to deal with anger? Jesus is the way. His truth will set you free. And he who is set free by Jesus is free indeed! He is the truth and the life and he came so that we can live an abundant life. And surely an abundant life does not include fits of anger!
I thank you for taking time to read this post. But hey let\’s keep talking. Post your feedback in comments area below. I will be appreciative. This blog is updated at least twice a week. Signup to receive regular updates straight into your Inbox. Don\’t miss a thing!
Finally, quit this anger now!
Time waits for no one. Time stops for no one. Your excuses will not slow down time. Your in-decisions will not delay time. Your complaining will not stall time. Your regrets will not turn back time. So don\’t waste your time in anger, regrets, worries and hate. Because time will not turn back and cry along with you. It\’s time to let go of the past and stop worrying about the future. Your only time is Now!
motivation by Julius Sevilla
You are blessed. Stay Blessed and Inspired, Always!
