Dealing with Anger

Ephesians 4:26-27 (AMP) Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].

Learning how to deal with anger, being mad at the real culprit, and not sinning when angry is something I'm still working on. If I'm not careful, I can allow bad news to ruin my day. It may not even have anything to do with me personally, but it can alter my thoughts for the day and change my attitude if I don't receive the information with the right mindset. For example, if I learn about the hardships of other believers in foreign nations, the beatings & imprisonment or if I dwell on the atrocities happening to children that have fallen victim to sex trafficking, I can quickly begin to think of how awful the world is becoming and be angry at injustice and allow my mind to dwell on all the thoughts of other evil doings around our world and just become sad, disheartened, overwhelmed by the weight of "something must change!" I also have another option… I can take the information I received and use that anger to fuel my prayers.

God, even though I can't be there physically to help this person, this family, Lord be with them. Send your angels to go before them, send someone along their path to lift them up and encourage them in Christ. God we are one body and I declare unity and peace among the body of believers…

As we pray, our faith will rise up, we connect with God and can listen for instructions. We have the choice to complain about something or pray about it - we can become full of pity or full of power! It is easy to become angry at many things, angry at a spouse for something they didn't do, angry at children for something they did do, angry at the political unrest we see, angry at our tax bills, angry at the long lines in the store…. it's usually all petty stuff that the devil wants us to fixate on so we miss our opportunities to share Christ and show love to people. Be angry but do not allow the anger to cause you to sin too, be mad at the real enemy behind it all, be angry and go to God in prayer and ask what you can do to be a solution to the problem. Do not give the devil an opportunity to invade your thoughts by holding onto bitterness and resentment. Go to your secret place and give it all to God! Amen!

Jeremiah 29:12-13 (AMP) Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Romans 12:12-13 (NLT) Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.