DO YOU CONTROL YOUR ANGER, OR DOES IT CONTROL YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
But the Lord replied, “Have you any right to be angry?”
(Jonah 4:4)

MEDITATION:
All of us experience times when something arouses our anger. We all have
different levels of temper that can manifest itself in varying degrees of rage.
Some strive to control their anger, but others make no attempt at doing so.
The scriptures tell us that failing to bring our temper under control can
open the door for Satan to do his work in us.
    “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the
       sun go down while you are still angry,  
       and do not give the devil a foothold.
       (Ephesians 4:26-27)

We are also told to release our anger before retiring for the night. Why
should we get over our anger before going to bed? Because it is good for
our health. If we go to bed holding on to our anger, then we are unlikely
to fall asleep in a timely manner. Not only that, but if we wake up during
the night, our anger is still there, ready to rob us of more sleep.

Think about the times you have been angry with someone else. You toss
and turn all night and plan what you will say to them the next day. You
try to anticipate how they will respond, and you plan on what you will
say next. The problem is that you have lost sleep and they’ve enjoyed a
good night’s rest. In addition, you seldom get to say all the things you
planned during the night. They may even disarm your anger by the
first thing they say to you the next day.

Have you ever been angry with God about something that happened in
your life? How did you feel afterward? Were you overwhelmed with guilt
and did you start to withdraw from Him as a result?

Feeling guilty about being angry with God is a good thing, but withdrawing
from Him due to feelings of guilt, is not. God understands how our emotions
can cause us to lash out at others, and even at Him. He asked Jonah a simple
question,
    “Have you any right to be angry?”

We shouldn’t allow Satan to convince us that we are no longer worthy of a
relationship with the Lord. Instead, we need to run to Him and ask for His
forgiveness for losing our temper. Then we need to ask Him to help us
understand what we need to learn from our unpleasant experiences.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Do I have a short temper?
    – Is my anger part of my reputation with others?
    – How am I working at controlling my temper?
    – What do I do to squelch my anger whenever it begins to boil?
    – Do I try to curb my anger, or do I just give it
       free reign to transform me into an angry person?

Jonah was angry because God was working in the lives of the people
he disliked. Instead of focusing on the good that God was doing, he
chose to focus on how God’s work affected him personally. That’s
what happens to many of us, doesn’t it?

We want things the way we want them and when anyone (including God)
does something that disrupts how we want things to be, it makes us mad.
We can find all kinds of reasons and justifications as to why things should
be the way we want them to be. However, if our ideas are not aligned with
God’s, then we can expect His plans to disrupt our plans and ideas. When
that happens, we have two choices:
    1. We can allow anger to consume us and lash out at others (and God).
    2. We can pause and consider what God may be wanting
          to teach us through the disruption we are experiencing.

It’s a spiritual battle between our will and God’s will and in our hearts
we know which one should/will be victorious. We might ‘think’ we know
what’s good for us, but God sees the big picture and He ‘knows’ what we
need, and when we need it.

We can either resent and rebel, or we can be humble and embrace what
God is doing in our lives. It’s not easy to relinquish our personal desires,
but in our hearts, we must know and understand how much God loves us
and even when His plans upset our lives, He is transforming us and refining
us in the areas where we need to become more like His Son, Jesus.

We may be in denial about some unrighteousness in our lives, but God can
clearly see the areas that need to be purged and replaced with His Godly
righteousness. Think about that – our omnipotent Heavenly Father cares
about us so much that He willingly takes the initiative to transform us in
areas where we can’t change ourselves.

Is it painful? It might be. Does it require us to become humble and
accept what He is doing in our lives? Probably. Is it worth allowing
Him to sanctify us? We know the answer to that question, don’t we?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for not heeding Your Word and suppressing
my anger. Show me how my anger is not only bad for me, but also hurts
other people. Forgive me for the times I have allowed my anger to be
directed toward You. Help me to realize that You want what is best for me,
and sometimes that includes exposing me to some unpleasant circumstances.
When I think about how Jesus suffered on the cross because He knew it was
part of Your plan, I realize that I should accept Your plans for me without
complaining, or becoming angry with You. I am truly sorry for the times
my anger toward You has occurred and from this day forward, I plan to
make a conscious effort to control my temper. Thank You for showing
me how to love; help me to replace my anger with the type of love You
have for me.”

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