Anger

One time I was having a discussion with a friend about Psalm 23.5 ” You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” She loved the verse so much that I was prompted to ask who her enemies were. I think anger is one source of enemies. But who needs enemies. I am not saying every body should be your friend. I am saying maybe none should be your enemy. Let them just be.

When someone does something wrong there are only three phases in which one can act.

1. Feel bad.

2. React.

3. Memorize and keep angry for a long time.

For the first phase there is no choice. You have to feel angry when nasty things are done. That is the natural way.

The second phase, from 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “there is a small gap between stimuli and response.” You can choose how you respond. Some walk away. Some call other people names (I have heard people calling others names from the groin area, animals and dirty curse words which I will never use my entire life), others beat. At this stage you have to forcefully take control of your self because we err often with terrible consequences when we act inappropriately in response to anger.

The third phase you keep a record of the person and their act in your mind. It is like being so nice a person to  let someone bad live in your head with out paying rent. Joyce Meyer says it is like swallowing poison hoping the other person dies. Wasted memory.

Ephesians 4.26 ” Be angry and do not sin” do not let the sun go down on your wrath.

You could take an online course to manage anger but the easier way is to start practising now because the opportunities to get angry are enormous. Man is so fallible. Who knows maybe with lots of practise you could even stop feeling angry. At the moment feel and act better no crossing to the third flour.