Anger

"Don't get angry. Don't be upset; it only leads to trouble." Psalm 37:8

Max Lucado writes, "Anger. It's easy to define: the noise of the soul. Anger. The unseen irritant of the heart. Anger. The relentless invader of silence..."Have you ever been surprised by the anger that can well up in you and explode when you least expect it? Where does it come from? What can we do about it?

Circumstances can arouse our anger. When my son was killed by a drunk driver, I experienced more than anger. I experienced absolute rage...at a man who would drink and drive; at a justice system that never sentenced him to prison; at well-meaning, but ill-advised friends who told me I needed to "get over it!" But that anger was different. It was explainable. But what about anger that just seems to pop up at the strangest and totally unexplainable times?

Many years ago I heard a minister say when we experienced anger, we needed to face it; trace it; and erase it. Face the fact that you get angry and that's wrong. Trace the anger back, perhaps even to childhood. What triggers the anger? Did something happen to you as a child that planted that seed of anger in you? Do you get angry when you feel out of control, victimized, or abused? Ask God to put His finger on the origin of your anger. Once we have identified the root of our anger then we can ask God to Erase it. I don't mean that we should pretend the damage never happened. I mean we can ask God to remove the emotional reaction to our pain. God may show us forgiveness is needed, and we need to act on that immediately.Sometimes we may need professional help to lead us in unlocking the door to the root of our anger.

Counseling with another knowledgeable person can be extremely helpful in guiding us to the truth. Lucado continues, "Yesterday you can't alter, but your reaction to yesterday you can. The past you cannot change, but your response to your past you can."Listen as God speaks to your heart."I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you." Ephesians 1:1

Marilyn Heavilin is a speaker, author, and counselor. She will be at America's KESWICK during the months of July and August.