Hi dearest reader,
It's being a minute here. My apologies, I've just found it easier posting contents on Instagram than here. Well let's clear the cobwebs here with the first episode of my current weekly IG series; #Thechristianwhattodowhen series.
So what is the first episode about. ANGER!
This will open your eyes to a lot of things, and really bless you. Do well to share ❤.
ANGER
It feels just right I let you in into some WHATS AND WHYS about anger before WHAT TO DO WHEN IT HAPPENS.
Definition; Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to aperceived provocation, hurt or threat
IS ANGER A SIN?
No it isn't. It is an emotion. What you do with it can be a sinBe ye angry, and sin not... Ephesians 4:26 KJV
WHY DO WE GET ANGRY?
We all pick offense or get angry! If you claim otherwise, it safe to say you are not human, lol, or you probably mean you express anger less and differently from others.
In her article "Why Anger Is Bad For You," neurophysiologist Nerina Ramlakham says, "Now we separate people differently into those who hold rage in and those who express it out." The question, then, isn't who gets angry, but why we all get angry.
Why do we get angry? We get angry because we perceive threats towards ourselves, certain people or things we love. Anger is simply a response to whatever endangers what you cherish.
ORDERED AND DISORDERED ANGER
Again psychologically, anger can be classified as Ordered or Disordered. No, there are no anger test outlets, they deduced this classification based on Threats (anger triggers) vs Level of anger.
For example: If the level of anger you have, over time, towards being snubbed is much more than what you have towards corruption, terrorism etc, that is a disordered form of anger. An ordered form of anger would be to place more importance on the lives of others (in case of terrorism) than your own ego (when snubbed). In it's ordered form, anger can be good. It becomes a menace when disordered.
You know that saying; Whatever problem angers you the most is probably what you were made to solve. That's an ordered anger, I believe, which should be channeled towards providing solutions to such local or global problems.
Disordered anger, however, is rooted in disordered love or what we see in the scriptures as inordinate affection.
INORDINATE AFFECTIONS.
An inordinate affection is an unhealthy and obsessive attachment to a person or thing that manifests through "uncontrollable love" An uncontrolled love that consequently lead to uncontrollable or disordered anger.
If you find yourself getting overly angry at being unrecognized or not being respected as much as you should, you are probably too occupied with seeking people's acceptance, approval, or good reputation with is rooted in disordered self love.
Not that those three are not good to have. They are. And they happen at the right time. Actively seeking after them just screams that you feel incomplete without them. The truth is, You are already accepted, approved, and loved by God! Nothing can change that. Find rest in that.
Could be an item you can't do without. When you are separated from it, you get angry. Few years ago, I remember my housemate was looking for a drink she kept in the fridge. Her tone was laced with anger when she asked me about it. I did get angry too, she knows I don't even fancy this drink, why ask me in anger.... lol. We decided to search for it. Long story short, we found it somewhere around the kitchen, and she was happy. I was too. But for few seconds, I wondered why something so little could have triggered anger in both of us. Again inordinate affection (towards things and self; ego).
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET ANGRY?
Satan replied to the Lord , "Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" Job 1:9-11 NLT.
The devil is always out to accuse you. And He does that mostly by bringing offences/ anger triggers your way. The conversation between God and the devil in Job 1: 8-12 supports this. He literally proposed that God should strip Job of everything he has, knowing fully well that this will get him angry and he will take actions (i.e curse God). And he also instigated anger towards God in Job heart through his wife and friends. If he could get him to curse God, he will go ahead to accuse him before the court of heaven, and he will win.... But thank God Job never did. He left no room for the devil's accusations.
You see, It is human to get angry (disordered anger). But, I want you to know that it is also a tool in the devils hands to wreck havoc.
Anger breeds animosity, unforgiveness, hatred, wickedness, evil manipulations, thoughts, declarations. We can go on and on... It might be legally right for you to get angry, and take actions, but one thing is sure, Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. James 1:20 NLT.
Doesn't matter if all these evils are hidden in the heart (God sees the heart), or expressed in actions towards the offender (our actions are wide open before Him), the summation of both doesn't solve the problem, bring about God's righteousness or in any way glorify His name. What doesn't glorify God doesn't look God on you!
All it does is put both parties, especially the offendee, in back and forth accusation saga and unrest. Picture the devil going to and fro, pointing your attention towards an offense, instigating anger in you, telling you you have the right to payback, giving you "brilliant ideas" on what payback methods to use, helping you to execute them, and then going straight to accuse you before God. He is called the ACCUSER OF THE BRETHREN! Accusations are his weapons. He is never tired of wielding his weapons, you shouldn't too. WHAT ARE YOURWEAPONS?
WHAT DO YOU DO? YOUR WEAPONS.
1. TAKE YOUR THOUGHTS CAPTIVE: Better to capture anger or the thought of it at an early stage than to deal with it's consequences.
....You capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. 2Corinthians 10:5 TPT
2. ANALYZE THE ANGER: If you eventually get angry. Do a quick analysis. What is the detail of this anger? What is it's source? Meaning, when you find yourself getting angry, stop and ask: "What is this big thing that's so important to me that I get this defensive?" What am I loving so much right now that my heart is moved to anger? If you ask this and similar questions, more often than not you'll immediately be embarrassed, because many times what you're defending is actually your ego, pride, your self-esteem. An inordinate affection for self that God want you to get rid of.
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness. Colossians 3:5 KJV
3. GET TO KNOW GOD'S HEART: This is easier to do having followed the first two steps. Even if not, it is still a great start. When the rage is hot, asking what God thinks about the situation might not be at the forefront of our minds, but this is the absolute best thing to do. Take a pause to listen to what God speaks to your heart. Best believe, He will tell you to CALM DOWN first, before any other thing. Humbly accept His advice, obey Him. it will save you from lots of troubles
.... So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:201-22 NLT
And leave God to speak to the other party's heart. He knows what best to say, how best to say it to save his/her soul.
4. TALK ABOUT IT: Talking to the other party about your feelings of anger is not a sin. Just make sure it's not an attack.
5. FEEL SORROW FOR YOUR SINS: We may feel embarrassed after analyzing our anger or knowing God's heart about it, and seeing how far away from Christlikeness our hearts are. I'll say this is a good kind of embarrassment, your spirit is showing your untapped potential in God by comparing the present state of your heart to God's intended state. Feel the embarrassment with a resolve to be better, but do not feel condemned. Jesus has paid the price for that disordered love/anger. He bore the wrath we deserved, freeing us from sin's guilt. He rose from the dead, empowering us over sin's dominion.
It is also okay to feel the sorrow; the sorrow of our slow response to the grace we have received from God. Extending grace to others is our greatest response to the grace we've received. Anger is obviously not. Again, let this bring you to a resolve of being an extension of God's grace
God designed us to feel remorse over sin in order to produce repentance that leads to victory. This leaves us with no regrets. But the sorrow of the world works death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 TPT.
6. REMEMBER THE LOVE OF JESUS: The solution to disordered love (anger) is ordered love, perfectly modelled by Christ. But we can't just make such a sharp flip. We must be strengthened by the Spirit to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:14-19) for this to be a possible norm in our lives. Can you see how much Jesus loves you in spite of your shortcomings? How His grace wraps you around? When you see this, you are led to love him more than anything – and so increasingly care about the things that matter, not become angry when we shouldn't be, be really peaceful and forgiving.
So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Ephesians 3:14-19 TPT
7. FORGIVENESS: This is your greatest weapon. Satan hates forgiveness. Forgiveness offends everything he stands for since he relentlessly accuses; morning, afternoon, evening, and night, hurling our sins, like stones, against us (Revelation 12:10). Accuser is who he is. Forgiveness defies his life's work. It demoralizes him and cuts his plans short. His plans of keeping humanity in bondage forever was cut short by God's act of forgiveness on the cross through Christ. Forgive. Pray for the person. That is the will of God. The devil is defeated once again. Proud joy fills the Father's heart, heavenly peace envelops your soul. USE YOUR WEAPONS.
I know you were super blessed by that. And it is my heart's desire that you 'use' this God- given wisdom anytime you are at the brink of anger.
Remain blessed, and stay bringing pleasure to the Father's heart.
Till next time,
Pelumi A.
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