"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 we decided to let him move in.
I hadn't heard from my son in a while. Then one day my daughter informed my wife
and me he was living on the streets. We made contact and invited him to live
with us. Since he had been living a rough lifestyle-which included drug use, we
established conditions. Not fully trusting him, we didn't give him a key to our
house. While we were at the grocery store one day, he called wanting us to hurry
home so he could get in. After subsequent calls, my blood was raging by the time
we arrived home. After a heated argument, I invited him to leave. My anger
cooled quickly, but his took months. I wasn't slow to speak, nor was I 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 short time my son lived with us,
neither my wife nor I could focus on anything but our situation. We constantly
worried about what he might do next. We lived in a state of tension. When anger
preoccupies my mind, I can't focus on spiritual things. My nearness to God-along
with my ability to hear His Spirit speaking to mine, diminishes. I can't think
about two things at once, so when anger has me dwelling on one thing, I'll be
avoiding everything else.
Fact 5: Anger steals focus. This aspect flows from the previous. Anger divides
my mind causing me to dwell on the situation that has angered me. Satan plays in
my mind, keeping my thoughts focused on the person or circumstances. As long as
he can keep me focused there, he can keep me from focusing on what God wants me
to do.
Fact 6: Anger eats physically, spiritually, and emotionally. My body isn't
compartmentalized. What eats at me emotionally-anger in this case, will affect
my physical well being if I don't process it quickly. And when I'm in emotional
and physical turmoil, my spiritual life will suffer. I may blame God, neglect
God, or ignore God.
Ask God to help you be slow to speak and slow to get angry.
Prayer: Father, when people or circumstances aggravate us, direct us to You for
comfort and guidance rather than toward an angry spirit.
Martin Wiles Hodges, South Carolina, USA
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