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You can get a handle on
your anger. In fact there is anger that aids in your purpose… …God causes everything to work together
for the good of those who love God and are called according to his
purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and
he chose them to become like his Son…
Romans 8:28-29
One of central reasons
that you are alive is to grow to become like Jesus- Its God’s purpose
for you. The fact is, God gets angry; Jesus got angry… And so the more
your anger is conformed to a godly anger- the more it actually lends to
your purpose of becoming like Jesus… How do I take anger and make it
part of my purpose?
#1- Admit…
Admit that you have an
anger problem… That it’s out of control. Until you admit something- you
cannot deal with it. Dealing with your problems is ALWAYS going to aid
in accomplishing your purpose.
Admit it to whom?
a. God…
…if
we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to
cleanse us from every wrong. 1 John 1:9
b. a person…
Confess your sins to each other and pray
for each other so that you may be healed.
James 5:16
You say why would I want to do that? Why would I want to confess my
anger? Because you want to be
healed- that’s why! Its pride that makes you sick with anger and its
pride that keeps you sick with anger.
So I admit and then;
#2- Address…
Address the cause of your
anger… In other words identify it. If
your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy
Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. Romans 8:11
see the word “controls”? You might say it like this; if anger
controls your thoughts- the only outcome you can expect is negative.
“Why” it has control needs to be identified. Think about this: The
reason you are angry at the moment may not be the reason you are angry
at the moment…
A couple of years ago
someone graffitied the sides of our cars. A couple of days later I saw a
kid walking down the alley behind our house with a can of spray paint. I
was instantly angry. I drove around the house to the alley as fast as I
could just in time to see the boy hand the paint to my 70 something year
old neighbor. Instantly I realized that the boy was his grandson whom
had very kindly gotten my neighbor the can of paint he had asked for out
of his pick up. I suddenly knew that I had totally misunderstood the
situation. My anger was justified but entirely misdirected! Now when I
thought about it, I knew why I was angry and where that anger had come
from. But how many painful things are buried in your heart that cause
your anger at situations that have nothing to do with what is really
going on? You need to identify what you are really angry about…
How do I do that?
The
lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his
inmost being. Proverbs 20:27
You have to get God’s
help to identify the roots of your anger. Notice that it’s the lamp of
the Lord that searches? Why? Because the Bible says Jesus brings the
darkness into the light. That means that you don’t just discover the
cause of your anger so that it can become your excuse to be a jerk. No…
He brings it from darkness into the light. Jesus said I am the light of
the world. Jesus is the light- your problem is brought to Him for
healing and restoration.
How do I get in on that?
Ask God to do it.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test
me and know my thoughts.24Point out anything in me that
offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Psalm 139:23-24
Give God permission to go
on a search and destroy mission in your life.
#3- Accept…
Accept the things that
you cannot change… Nothing creates anger like trying to control things,
people and circumstances. You are trying to make it all work out right;
but God says, Your anger can never make things right in
God’s sight. James 1:20
In other words, your
control and anger is never going to make things right and it’s never
going to lend to accomplishing God’s purposes in your life.
By accepting the way
things are- you are not saying you agree with the way they are. Only
that they are out of your control and better yet that they are in
control of the God who cares. Ultimately that’s what our problem is-
when we try to control we are saying that God cannot control things OR
that I can control things better than God can. It’s a trust issue. So
accepting how things are must be accompanied by a trust in God.
ugly head. See, because I
want good to come out of this- I don’t pop my cork… I confess my anger –
admit it so I release that pressure… Address the real cause inside of me
and accept that I may not be able to do anything about it… What did I
just do? I got my head in straight about it. It’s not personal- its sin
I’m angry with- not a person. …and then I can begin to deal with it
without the pressure of a personal issue…
So you accept;
#4- And replace…
Replace your anger… You
have discovered that your anger is sinful and doesn’t lend to your
purpose very well; what should you do? Get rid of it and put something
in place of it that does lend to your purpose in life…
In an auto repair manual
there is a common abbreviation; R&R. Not rest and relaxation! Its Remove
and replace. It would be ridiculous to think that if the battery is bad
on your car all you have to do is remove it and it will work fine; no…
you must remove and what? Replace… You and I are the same way. You
cannot just remove anger and think you’ll be ok- the old and defective
must be removed – but also replaced with the new.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as
well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind
to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through
Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
The words “get rid of” literally mean to remove them from your arsenal.
The word “instead” at the beginning of vs.32 means “add in” or “add
too”…. So you have get rid of anger and into that empty place add
forgiveness.
Well you say, that’s
hard. I cannot forgive. No you
can’t. Remember, you have given the devil, who is far stronger than you
are, a foot hold – a place to work from in your life. That evil spirit
of anger and un-forgiveness is keeping you captive. He is so deceptive
that the whole time you think you have to keep others captive – you are
the one imprisoned. You must make a choice to replace your anger with
forgiveness- God will do the rest.
“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places
seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the
house I left.’ 25 When
it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.
26 Then it goes and takes
seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live
there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”
Luke 11:24-26 Why do I get even more
angry when I stuff, repress or just try to quit being angry? Because I’m
not replacing my anger with forgiveness.
Life in Christ is the
great exchange…
This is why nothing can
compare to the freedom, recovery and release that you will find in Jesus
Christ. Everything in Christ is an exchange: Old life for new…
Old spirit for new
spirit… Old sinful nature for a new divine-godly nature… Old purpose for
new purpose…
And, anger for
forgiveness. |