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
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.
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