Anger: 12 Things You Should Know Part 4 - Martin Wiles

Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. Ecclesiastes 7:9 NLT

Homework, projects, and tests tested my patience. His lackadaisical attitude angered me. 

Unlike my daughter, my son had no affection for school. “Dad, I need help with my homework” meant, “Will you do it for me?” Projects were no different. He wanted me to do most of the work while he got the credit. Helping him study for tests was extremely taxing. Though perfectly capable of mastering the material, his desire and initiative were absent, keeping the knowledge from seeping in and frustrating me when he couldn’t produce the answers. The thought of helping him with school assignments caused the anger emotion to flare even before we began. 

Anger can be a bothersome emotion, causing all types of issues and leading to all manner of reactions. Knowing some facts helps me deal with it in a healthy way. 

Fact 10: Anger can and will consume. Being consumed by healthy emotions such as love and kindness is good. The type of anger that consumes is likely against someone who has wronged me. I haven’t taken revenge…but I want to. Not wanting to confront them or do anything illegal, I choose to stew over the hurt. I repress and get depressed. Instead of dividing my mind, anger controls my mind. I have trouble thinking of anything else except the hurt. 

Fact 11: Anger saddens God. Sin always disappoints and saddens God. Sin ruined the pristine world He created and the lives of the first two people He formed when they chose to disobey Him. What could have been wasn’t. What will be won’t for thousands of years. Uncontrolled and wrongly expressed anger is sin. Sin prevents God from using me as He wants. With it, I can’t realize His perfect and freeing plan for my life. 

Fact 12: Anger excites Satan. Any sin will do for Satan, sinful anger included. If he can convince me to justify my sin and live in it, he wins—temporarily. He knows sin will thwart God’s plan for my life, or at least interfere with it. When I regard sin in my heart, God will not hear me—and I won’t hear Him. Anytime Satan can keep me from advancing God’s kingdom, he gets excited. 

Ask God to help you process feelings of anger in a healthy way that promotes good. 

Prayer: Father, when Satan seeks to incite our anger, we ask You to replace it with love, kindness, and understanding. 

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