ANGER MANAGEMENT

Ephesians 4:26-27 "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."

Being made in the image of God we must assume correctly that we all have the emotion of anger just like our creator. In the New Testament we are told not to become so angry to the point of sinning and once angered, do our best to reconcile it and not carry it over into another day.

Many male Christians have made the point of saying that the Bible has become feminized. In their minds this means that there is only flowers and rose petals of love written within its pages. They are advocating for a 'masculine' look at the truth of Scriptures that God and Jesus became angry at times.

In Matthew 21:12-13: "Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 'It is written,' he said to them, 'My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers." In this passage Jesus was upset because many people had come to the temples to make sacrifices that were the standard for the Jews to do at that time and were being ripped off, having their sacrifices devalued in the monetary exchange of goods by the men in the temple set on making a crooked handed profit from the devout people of faith.

Even in marriage relationships, counselors advise not to focus on the 'anger' but the issue or root of the anger. In the same manner we should not focus on Jesus' anger, but the reasoning behind His anger. Jesus, as well as God, was always upset about the way the poor and the widow were treated.

Now for our favorite friend the Apostle Paul. Paul was a straight shooter and did not care about public response when it came to his clear ministry for God. In Galatians, Paul addresses the issue of circumcision and that it was a step backwards for the Galatians in their faith in Jesus. Circumcision was instituted under the Law of Moses. After Jesus' ministry, death, and resurrection, the Law of Moses was no longer to be adhered to.

As Paul gave point after point as to why circumcision no longer factored into the following of the teachings of Jesus, he said those that were teaching them such were wrong for doing so and their belief and following of such instructions were inexcusable.

One thing that struck me as I read the entire chapter was when Paul was coming to the end of his letter to the Galatians. Galatians 5:7-12:

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth...As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!"

Oh my goodness!!! Paul said for those advising you to just cut off the foreskin of your penis-I wish they would just go ahead and cut off their entire PENIS.

I believe Paul was a little hot under the collar at those continuing to preach circumcision. This example shows even great man of God become frustrated in their ministry. Paul had a problem with aggressive actions of faith before God called him on Damascus road and we can see his aggressive zeal continued as an apostle. Pretending we do not have issues with anger does not make us more holy. It is how we deal with our anger that makes us more Christ like. Paul had a powerful ministry. He was a strong personality and may not have been as effective if he did not possess all of the characteristics that made him in the image of God.

God gives us guidance in all areas of our lives, including the area of anger. I have said jokingly more than once, the holier many woman present themselves to be the more soft, angelic pitched their voices seem to be. Soon, some of them are going to be so godly until you will not be able to hear them.

The Bible has not become feminized and on that same note its masculinity does not have to be protected. Anger is a natural course of living, but its management is a part of Christian living. As 2011 has dawned, I find myself calmer, not easily rattled by things that use to push my buttons. I have always tried not to pitch a tent in the neighborhood of anger once angered. I purposefully try to find ways of diffusing my anger, not trying to win the argument or change the offender. My anger is about me in the end. I have a right to be angry but I do not have a right to allow my anger to cause me to sin.

If you found this blog while searching for ways to manage your anger; I hope I have said something to give you to think about for a moment. It is my prayer that you become released from the bondage of anger. Many people will declare almost with pride that they have a 'short fuse.' I guess we all are different, but we all are capable of anger. But we must strive to be the master of it and not mastered by it. Let's face it; if you choose to, you can be mad 24-7. There is just that much in this world to keep you involved in anger. But this is not your natural state of being, it is only one facet of a dynamic YOU. Tap into those greater parts of you that breathe life. Let anger come and go just like the wind. Your time can be filled with so many more spirit building activities.