God's Solutions for Today's Problems #23

Our passage from the Word of God today is James 1:19. It reads, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

Our quote for today is from Mitch Alborn. He said, “Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves.”

Our problem today is "The Problem of Anger in Your Life" (part 1) from the book, "The Guide to Biblical Counseling" by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Ron Hawkins.

Today, we will discuss some Definitions and Key Thoughts on Aging:

David and his wife fight constantly. Last week David got so angry that he took a glass vase and smashed it against the wall.

At sixteen Sarah feels she is just a burdern to her busy mom. So Sarah locks herself in her bedroom with the stereo ar maximum volume.

Brian's new supervisor has been pushing him all day. Wanting to turn off the world, he goes home and drinks himself into a stupor.

Only five years old, Timothy hardly understands how he feels, besides pain from the bruises on his back. While other kids draw peacefully, he can't focus. Scribbling in burgundy crayon, he tears a hole straight through his paper.

DEFINITIONS AND KEY THOUGHTS

Shakespeare said, "Men in rage strike those that wish them best."

- Anger is a God-given powerful emotion with intensity that ranges from being frustrated to severe fury. It can last from a few seconds to a lifetime. Anger itself is not a sin. What we do in our anger determines whether we sin.

- Anger is best understood as a state of readiness. It is a natural response to a real or perceived injustice, and it inspires a powerful alertness that allows us to defend good or attack evil. Even Jesus showed anger.

- Anger is mentioned more than five hundred times in Scripture; the only emotion in the Bible more common than anger is love. Anger first appears in Genesis 4:5 and last appears in Revelation 19:15.

- Anger can lead to healthy or unhealthy/sinful behavior. Careful assertiveness is a healthy response to anger that involved problem-solving and compassion. Aggression is an unhealthy/sinful response to anger that involves hurting or controlling others, revenge or hatred.

- Anger, when it is an automatic response to a situation, is considered a primary emotion. Anger can also be a secondary emotion, meaning it is felt in reaction to another feeling, such as fear, hurt, or sadness.

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