The Beast Within Part IV

 Anger is an emotion that everyone feels, so what am I supposed to do when I feel angry?

To Conclude our study on anger here are three simple yet powerful steps to deal with anger:

 

Don’t speak:

Your tongue probably has the fastest reaction time of all the muscles in your body. When someone or something makes you mad don’t say anything. I know it’s hard. The first thing you want to do is say something, don’t. Your words have the ability to bury you faster than you can think. Not only do your words hurt others they also have the tendency to work you up and make you more angry than you were to begin with. Take a moment of silence and think. Why am I angry? Do I want to say something because it will help the situation or do I just want to say something because I’m mad? Proverbs 15:1 says ”A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” And remember if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. It’s not a new piece of advice but there is a lot of wisdom in it.

Don’t act:

When you feel yourself getting angry with someone or some situation, take a step back. Step away from what’s making you angry and collect your thoughts. Give your head a chance to clear. Proverbs 14:29 says, "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

Don’t stew and plot your revenge but rather ask yourself why you are angry. Did you simply not get your way? Do you think that you were wronged in some way? You may find that your reason for being angry doesn’t seem so big once you think about it. Remember that vengeance belongs to God and that God has called you to forgive others because He has forgiven you(Eph. 4:32).

Take it to God:

Proverbs 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”  God wants us to pour out our hearts to him. He wants us to take our emotions, fears, and cares to him. I Peter 5:7 says “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 

Anything that is important to you is important to God. When you feel angry let God know, be mindful of your attitude, but tell God what it is that made you angry. If a person has wronged you let God know that you’re hurting, Ask God for comfort, ask him to help you forgive the person and let your anger go. Leave your anger at the foot of the cross.

 God gave you everything you need to overcome anger when he sent His son Jesus to die for you.

 Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

I John 4:4 “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 

 You don’t have to be a slave to the beast within. You can overcome your anger. God will stick by you as you battle anger, and though at times you may let it get the best of you God is always there to give you a second chance. 

I hope this study has been a help to you. This is an topic that hits close with me and studying it out has been a great encouragement.

The Beast Within Part III

Another danger the beast within holds is its ability to go undetected within our hearts. When we harbor this grisly fugitive we cause just as much damage as when we allow it to roam free. 

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.    –Buddha

Holding on to anger: distorts our thinking, affects our relationships with others, affects our relationship with God, and causes us to be more susceptible to anger in the future. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry, and sin not…” this is a simple concept that we discussed some in a previous post. Being angry is not a sin in itself, it’s how we respond to that anger. So instead of lashing out when we get angry and screaming and cussing we hold it in; because after all if we hold it in and don’t explode than we have succeeded. The problem is that we forget the second part of that verse “..let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” God is telling us not to let the day end still holding onto anger. Why? Because He knows the danger bottling up anger can have. Holding onto anger is destructive on our physical health. Director of Behavioral Medicine Research at Duke University, Redford Williams, M.D., is very direct when he states, “Anger kills. It’s not just that it can damage your heart – which it does – but it’s also been found in epidemiological studies to identify people who are more likely to have a heart attack or drop dead from any cause.”

Not only can anger damage our bodies but it can also destroy our relationships with others and with God. Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., a University of Washington sociologist makes this observation, “Anger is corrosive. It’s like a termite that starts to reproduce more termites. If you never get rid of the termites, one day you’re going to lean on a wall and it’s going to crumble underneath your weight.”

The Bible warns against this very thing in Hebrews 12:15 “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;” Once we start to keep anger inside it starts to dig its way deeper and deeper into our hearts and a root of bitterness is started. Just as a weed can crack a concrete sidewalk, these roots of bitterness drive a wedge into our relationships and thwart our way of thinking.  Going back to Ephesians 4:26 “Be ye angry and sin not; let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” The very next verse says “Neither give place to the devil.” Every time we choose to harbor anger we allow the devil to gain a foothold in our hearts and in our lives. 

So what now? Practice letting go of anger. Don't bottle it up. Talk things out. Don't go to bed without getting your heart right with God and if possible getting things right with others.  We will talk more about responding to anger in the next few posts.

The Beast Within Part II

Simply feeling the emotion of anger is not a sin, it is all about how we react to this emotion. The problem is that we don’t simply feel anger and let it go, but we act upon it in some way and that is what gets us into trouble.

As a kid your little sibling takes your favorite toy, you get mad and hit them. Someone insults you so you lash right back with your own hurtful words. Someone cuts you off while driving so you tailgate them, honk your horn, and call them every name in the book. It isn’t the emotion but the reaction. When faced with situations that anger us we have a choice of how to react. We didn’t have to hit our little sibling, we could have let them have the toy and we could have played with it later. We didn’t have to lash back with our own hurtful words we could have chosen not to be guilty of the same thing and turned the other cheek, which is what Jesus commanded us to do in the first place. We didn’t have to honk and scream at the driver who cut us off, we could have been thankful we didn’t have a car accident. The thing we have to realize is that when someone wrongs us we do not have a right to try and get even. It is not our place, and no matter how much of a reason we think we have, revenge of any kind has always been and will always be, sin. 

Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

We have to learn to let it go. We have to learn to forgive.

Matthew 6:14-15 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

The key to dealing with anger is forgiveness. Forgiveness is our greatest weapon against the evil beast that rages within us. 

Are you harboring bitterness in your heart? Are you holding back forgiveness from someone who has wronged you in the pas? Take it to God.  Ephesians 4:32 talks about forgiving others as Christ forgave us. No matter what anyone may have done to hurt or harm us it can't compare to the wrong we have done and do to our Savior, yet Christ has forgiven us. Take a moment and ask God to reveal any grudges or bitterness that may be lurking in the dark corners of your heart.

The Beast Within Part I

Anger can be a dangerous, deadly, and despicable enemy. Whether taken out on family, friends or fine china it can destroy our relationships as well as our testimonies. Anger has the ability to sink deep into our hearts and stay there. We all know people who are still angry over something that happened years ago and holding on to that anger is only hurting them. Anger when it all boils down is us not getting our way. When we don’t get what we think we deserve; whether a toy, a position on a team, a grade, or a job promotion, respect, love, kindness or honesty, we feel we have been short handed. We didn’t get what we thought we deserved and now we are upset about it. 

 “...beware the dark side of the force: anger, fear, aggression... easily they flow...”    -Yoda

Anger is such a prevalent issue in our society today. We deal with anger everyday; either within ourselves or those around us. Many of us fail to overcome our anger because we lack a true understanding of anger; it's long term effects and it's ability to disguise itself under many other names. I would like to spend the next few posts talking about the subject of anger. Together we can gain a better understanding of this beast within us and how we can work to overcome it.

It's a small world...no dude seriously, it's tiny.

Here is a video I ran across. I think it does an awesome job illustrating how big our God is, His plan, and His design. Watch the video before you continue reading.



Now read Psalm 8
"O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"


We are such a tiny part of God's creation, and yet so often we act like this life is all about us. It's not. It's all about Him. When I think that the Creator of ALL the universe; from the carpenter ant to the star W Cephy, loves and cares for me, died for me, I am left...speechless.

An Introduction

Life is crazy, unpredictable, stressful, and trying at times. Everyone needs to laugh. Everyone needs to be encouraged in the Faith and pointed back to our Creator. Everyone needs to be challenged and be provided with insight to things we may not have noticed in our lives and in the world around us. People so often (myself included) get so busy with life and school and jobs and career planning and hobbies and such like that they build walls around themselves. It's easy to quickly feel alone; like you are the only one struggling through life or searching for answers. So many people fail to see that there are people everywhere struggling with the same things. We are all in this together. My goal with this blog is to stand outside and lob encouragement, humor, and insight over as many walls as possible.  My prayer is that this blog will challenge, humor, and encourage you. If you would like to know more about me check out the "Inside Info" tab. If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to shoot me an e-mail.       ~Stevan