Anger: 12 Things You Should Know Part 2 - Martin Wiles

You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:19-20 NLT

He was living on the street, so they let him move in.

John hadn’t heard from his son in a while. Then, one day, his daughter informed John and his wife that their son was homeless. They made contact and invited him to live with them. But they established conditions since he had been living a rough lifestyle—including drug use.

Not fully trusting their son, John and Jenny didn’t give him a key to their house. One day, while they were at the grocery store, he called, wanting them to hurry home so he could get in. After subsequent calls from their son, John’s blood was raging by the time he arrived home. After a heated argument, he invited their son to leave. John’s anger cooled quickly, but the son’s took months. John wasn’t slow to speak, nor slow to get angry. 

Anger is an often-misunderstood emotion. Knowing some facts helps us deal with it in a healthy way.

Fact 4: Anger divides the mind. During the brief time John’s son lived with them, neither he nor his wife could focus on anything but their situation. They constantly worried about what he might do next. John and Jenny lived in a state of tension.

When anger preoccupies our minds, we can’t focus on spiritual things. Our nearness to God and our ability to hear His Spirit speaking to us diminishes. We can’t think about two things at once, so when anger has us dwelling on one thing, we’ll avoid everything else.

Fact 5: Anger steals focus. This aspect flows from the previous. Anger divides our minds, causing us to dwell on the situation that has angered us. Satan plays in our minds, keeping our thoughts focused on the person or circumstances. If he can keep us focused there, he can keep us from focusing on what God wants us to do.

Fact 6: Anger eats physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Our bodies aren’t compartmentalized. What eats at us emotionally—anger, in this case—will affect our physical well-being if we don’t process it quickly. And when we’re in emotional and physical turmoil, our spiritual lives will suffer. We may blame God, neglect God, or ignore God.

Ask God to help you be slow to speak and slow to get angry.

Father, when people or circumstances aggravate me, direct me to You for comfort and guidance rather than toward an angry spirit. 

Tweetable: How are you handling your anger? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.