RANDOM THOUGHTS ON ANGER
RANDOM THOUGHTS ON ANGER
Ephesians 4:26 < Psalm 4:4
Virgil Warren, PhD
“Be angry,
If youpl get angry,
In yourpl anger, do not sin; don’t letsg the sun go down on your anger.”
Anger in itself is not a sin (A), (B) manage it.
Anger can evidently be managed, because Paul says not to let the sun go down on it.
Anger is okay. All the emotions are built-in features of humanness: fear, love, joy, anger, sadness. So don’t stifle it. Sublimating anger would surely lead to some kind of debilitating effect—depression and its own consequences.
Anger is the behavior of fear. Being confident that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and engaged with his creation. If not immediately, then eventually he will fulfill his purposes with dire consequences to those how oppose him and his intentions for humanity. Along the way, as early and current persecution shows, suffering and even death may be part of human experience. However, defeat is not in the offing for God’s people, whatever intermediate experiences take place.
Will can be used to manage anger, but using the will directly on anger and the other emotions is difficult. So use the will indirectly on anger by using it directly on action, which in turn can affect feelings.
a. Physical exercise
b. Social involvement good people
c. Accomplish something
Mind can be used to manage anger.
a. Establish the relative importance of the issue causing the anger
b. Think ahead of time how to deal with this or that.
c. Remember that there can be more than one way to deal with an issue. The answer does not have to be my way or even the best way. Deal with it pastorally, that is, by dealing with it in a way that people will respond to even if it is not the most efficient or least expensive way.
d. Care about the welfare of other people; put yourself in their shoes.
e. Figure out why such and such makes you feel angry.
Do not nurse it with other issues of that person’s other past actions.
“Sleep on it.” “Time will tell.”
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