If I may, I would like to ask when is the last time you were angry about something or with someone? Some of you may not have to think very long. One of the things God has personally been healing me from is anger. A lot of times we misdiagnose anger by only classifying it as a form of verbal or physical expression. Meaning, someone yelling or throwing objects. However, I would like to submit to you that you can have anger and never raise your voice. You can have anger and never throw an object. Simply put, there are silent walkers struggling with anger at this very moment. Some people have learned to suppress it and keep it dormant, but best believe if you hit that button, that anger inside can be explosive. I was the type of person, looking at me from the outside, you would never see it, but internally I was carrying a lot of anger. I carried anger going through my divorce. I carried anger from my brother’s untimely death. I also carried anger from failed friendships.
Anger is so important to discuss and the time is now. As Christians we cannot continue in the cycle of anger. Not only does it rob you of purpose, but also progress. How can you truly move forward when you are housing and harboring hostility and vexation? It’s not possible. Anger to me is like having a slow leak in a tire. You may not see it initially, but you are losing air and if not fixed, you will most certainly have a flat. When we harbor anger we are slowly turning away from righteousness and if not careful will give a foot hole to the enemy, causing us to deflate in forgives and love.
We are entering the fourth and final quarter of 2020. Many of us have experienced our share of disappointment, hardship and trials. One thing we cannot afford to do is allow anger to set us back. So you might be asking, how do I move forward peacefully? I want to share three things with you.
Anger has a shelf life.
The bible gives us clear instruction in Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Beloved, this is a principle that will deliver us from days, months and even years from harboring anger. This scripture doesn’t say not to be angry, but it does tell us that if not careful anger can lead to sin. Therefore, don’t allow anger to continue when the sun goes down. How many of you have went to bed angry? I know I have. But what if we truly applied this principle? How much healthier would we be?
Anger freely invites the devil into your life
Ephesians 4:27 says, “And do not give the devil a foothold.” When you are harboring anger that’s like opening your doors and telling the enemy to come on in. Sometimes we are quick to say what the enemy is doing this and that, but did you give him an invite? Did you open the door because of anger? As we wrap up this year, please check you mail and make sure the enemy is not on your list. The devil only wants to come in and bring discord, division and distraction? God has brought you too far! Do not give the enemy a foothold! He only wants to steal your peace, the fruits of the spirit, your joy, and your stability. Remember, anger causes instability.
Don’t rehearse your hurts
I was reading a previous devotion from Dr. Charles Stanley and he was talking about anger. One thing he said at the end of the devotion was, don’t rehearse your hurts. WOW! That was life changing for me. When you rehearse your hurts, it will keep you stuck in a limited capacity. How can you give to others and you keep rehearsing your hurts? How can you handle bigger and better things, and you keep rehearsing your hurts? However allow those hurts to be testimonials and help someone else. You want the curtain to come up, but my question to you is, what are people going to see? Remember, what is internal will be reflected. You only can give from what is from within.
If you continue to persist in anger, it will push you out of purpose. I don’t want you to be pushed out of purpose, but pushed forward to purpose. There are people who have allowed anger to overtake them because they never dealt with it. However, this is a great time to have peace. There can be kayos all around you, but remember peace is priceless. You cannot buy you way out of anger. Temporal things will not allow anger to disappear. I know this might be hard to grasp, but in order to deal with anger you must have healthy confrontation. Therefore, let’s continue to extend grace to ourselves and others and let’s deal with anger in order to move forward peacefully.
Live life on the promise of IMPACT!
Min Carenda Deonne
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