Anger.

Have you ever been visibly shaken with anger? Take a second to remember how it felt. The wrath boiling inside of you, threatening to erupt in an explosion. It causes us to seethe quietly with a deadly stare or to raise our voice as if to overpower an enemy. Anger also makes us do silly things if we leave it unchecked. I recall kicking a door in anger and what I got for it was a swollen foot for three days! That was a good time to reflect on the mistake of losing control. Every human being is prone to anger including believers. It is an emotion we all bear but the Bible tells us in Colossians 3:8 to rid ourselves of anger. This is especially important to put on the new man (Col 3:10).

I have had challenges controlling my anger in the past and it’s usually those close to your heart who can get you to that state. Things that have worked for me is the assurance of The Word of God and what I like to call silent inward prayers to keep me levelheaded in the heat of the moment. I call on the Holy Spirit to help me stay calm and believing it helps.

Ephesians 4:26 gave me a practical idea to apply as well. I discovered this key while reading a chapter in “How You Can Become A Strong Christian”, an amazing book by my spiritual father, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills. The scripture reads:

Be angry , and  yet  do not sin ; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

Ephesians 4:26 NASB

Wow. It’s right there. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. I was reading in the book how as a Christian I shouldn’t hold on to quarrels for days, weeks and years. It’s a slow poison. Also not easily taking offence, is a key thing I picked up being in church because it will definitely come my way. How I handle it is what will set me apart. It’s not an easy thing to do especially when you have been wronged but there are great benefits of letting go. You prevent resentment/bitterness from building in your heart. Also, you can now look at an issue objectively without being clouded by your emotion not to mention the risk of making a poor decision(like kicking a door!) is cut out.

So why not give it a go? If someone makes you angry in the morning, let it go within 12 hours. If you’re offended at night, wake up the next day without it on your heart. And pray on it each time too. I’ve seen that when I practically and genuinely ask for The Holy Spirit to calm my heart down during a situation, it actually works. I recite a few words and repeat them quietly till it affects me. There is so much more on dealing with anger but this struck me in my thirst for knowledge of The Word.

Thanks for reading.