Anger

Jonah 4:4 - Then the LORD said, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

I never saw my Dad angry. He never raised his voice in anger in our home when I was growing up. I am sure he felt anger welling up inside sometimes but he had learned to control his response to those feelings and kept his anger under control.

I wish I could say I was like my Dad in that regard but I admit I have yelled at my husband in the past and have yelled at my children.

I have learned that it is unwise to yell at my husband and just serves to provoke anger in HIM so I don’t do it anymore and my children HATE it when I yell. It really scares them because it’s not something they see in me very often. Scaring them like that is NOT my goal and makes me feel horrible (as it should)!

I hope I am learning how to better control my responses to feelings of anger. It has been awhile since I raised my voice but I know I communicate my anger in more subtle ways now that are arguably equally damaging.

Angry responses are sinful and they take a major toll on our families. When we are reckless with our words, we cause permanent damage. We can’t take our words back - once they are out our mouths, they can inflict pain on our families that can have serious future ramifications.

I try to ask myself if it is even right for me to be angry in a given situation. More often than not, the answer is a resounding “no!” So any response (loud or subtle) to my unjustified anger is automatically going to be sinful and wrong.

Our world is an angry place to be right now. There is SO much hate, anger and violence in this current environment. We should not carry that with us into our families or neighborhoods. We need to guard our hearts and minds and shield our loved ones from the anger we might feel by being immersed in the yuck of this sinful world.

I am a work in progress. Lately I feel like my resolve to control my response to feelings of anger and frustration seems to constany be tested.  I am never going to achieve perfection. But I am daily striving for it and I pray you are too!