God Waits For Us When We Are Angry!

  

 

Quotation

 

Through daily Bible reading and prayer, the Holy Spirit will teach us and instruct us on how to deal with anger.

 

Barry Denzil Haney

 

Verse

 

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; Slow to anger, and of great mercy.

 

Psalm 145:8

 

Reflection

 

With heart racing, face flushed, and with clenched fists, I shout out, “No way, leave me alone!”

 

Experienced by everyone, this basic, raw emotion, can be mild or provoke rage and aggression, causing physical and mental problems.

 

The emotion, anger, triggers the body’s fight or flight response. The two paired amygdala in the brain activate the sympathetic nervous system. This causes a chain reaction of physiologic responses in the body, including the following: increased heart rate, dilatation of blood vessels (flushed face), dilatation of lung bronchi with increased respiration rate, increased conversion of glycogen to glucose, made available to skeletal muscles and brain, and dilatation of the pupils. Psychological changes occur simultaneously including the following: quickening of thought, attention focus on targets such as source of threat, appraisals about meaning of body reactions. (Psychology Tools)

 

According to Elizabeth Wagner, PsyD, people react to anger in three different ways: expression, suppression, or calming. (Wagner) Unfortunately, in today’s world, many react to anger using expression, yelling, blaming or becoming aggressive.

 

Uncontrolled anger can lead to an overwhelming sense of sadness and depression, and when severe, failed relationships, damaged reputations, and long lasting mental illness.

 

Does God get angry at us? Most people imagine God reacting to our indiscretions the way we would react, with anger. Because he is omnipotent and omniscient, he does not react with petty human emotions, irritations, and shortcomings. In Isaiah 55:8-9, the Bible tells us He does not think like we do:

 

 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

         How does the Bible describe God?

 

God is merciful:

 

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) (Ephesians 2:4-5)

 

God is patient:

 

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9}

 

God is love:

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

 

God is forgiving:

 

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. (Matthew 6:14-15)

 

Hallelujah! Thank goodness we worship a merciful God who waits for us when we are angry!

 

Illustration

 

A teacher had just finished putting the last pair of galoshes on her first-graders—thirty-two pairs in all. The last little girl said, “You know what, teacher? These aren’t my galoshes.”

 

The teacher removed them from the girl’s feet. Then the little girl continued, “They are my sister’s, and she let me wear them.” The teacher quietly put them back on her pupil.

 

Now that’s patience! (Green)

 

 

Prayer

 

Our Heavenly Father,

 

Thank you for not getting angry at us!

Thank you for Your mercy!

Thank you for Your patience!

Thank you for Your love!

 

Even though we don’t deserve it thank

you for Your forgiveness! Thank you

for the gift of salvation through the work

of Your Son on the Cross at Calvary!

 

In the precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior,

 

Amen!

 

 

Worship

 

Patiently Enduring – Active Christianity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fba0iHb40ms

 

 

God Bless You,

Barry

 

 

Wagner, Elizabeth. “What To Do When You Are Angry.” Eleos Psychology Center. Accessed May 5, 2021. https://eleospsychologycentermn.com/what-to-do-when-you-are-angry/. 

 

“Fight Or Flight Response.” Psychology Tools, May 4, 2021. https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-response/. 

 

Green, Michael P. 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000. Print.