Your blog comments on anger have triggered many thoughts in me. Recently I've queried several folks on their thoughts on how to handle anger. These conversations along with your comments show me American Christian women may be the largest group struggling with repressed or misappropriated anger.
Yesterday David from Red Letter Believers said...
I have a person in my life who I recognize anger in, but she says she isn't angry, she's "not happy" or "disappointed in me" or "discouraged by my actions."Anger is anger and appreciate you calling it what it is!
A few weeks ago I fired up with anger that actually frightened me. I shared my experience in: Be Angry but Sin Not!!!
The drawing to further explore this comes from the positive benefits I have personally received by facing my anger; not dodging it; not rationalizing it and processing it in meditation with God. I am reading good Christian books to uncover what God means in commanding us to BE ANGRY, but sin not.
I read that scripture all my life this way:
Be angry, BUT SIN NOT.
For me the main thing was to do whatever I could in my own power to be sure unequivocally, that under no circumstances, in any instance, with anyone, that I absolutely did not sin with my anger....and oh, yeah, be sure before I went to bed or before the sun came up ... I did NOT go to bed or sleep still angry!
As my faith grows that God is who He says He is in the Bible, I find I am willing to dare to be honest and true with little ole me. Instead of sugar coating what's going on in me; I dare to look at it head on. In Christ, I am willing to admit "I'm angry."
God's mercy and compassion have become clear to me in the last year. If I had one thing I would hope to convey to any of you reading this today it would be: You cannot measure how great is His love and understanding of your honest pursuit of pleasing Him no matter what breaks, blows up or flips upside down. Perfection isn't His command. Receive His love and love Him back and trust Him in all things.... this makes for the most glorious life.
Anger...God placed anger in His original plan for men and women. I'm praying, listening and learning what His design for anger is; and how we can comply with our original Manufacturer's intent!!!
