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.