Anger

Anger leaves its mark on our lives and the lives of others.

It's happened to all of us. Someone has deeply hurt us, wounded, offended, or frustrated us, and we become very, very angry about it.

That anger gets us in its grip, and won't let go. It seems to take over our minds, and we just can't stop thinking about it. It's like we are carrying around a 100-pound weight strapped to our backs, and we can't get rid of it.

Many times the person who has hurt me so badly, or annoyed me, or frustrated me to no end, isn't even aware of the anger I'm experiencing toward them - or they don't care. Either way, my anger isn't hurting them. But what it is doing is dragging me down emotionally. It's destroying my peace and stealing my joy ... and often, it's hindering my prayers. And that, the Bible says, is foolish!

Proverbs 16:32 - "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city."

Ephesians 4:6-10 -"BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity."

All of us must confront this issue at some point in our lives: how can I break free from the grip of anger when someone has deeply hurt or frustrated me?

Here are five steps the Bible says we can take to help us take control of our anger.
1. Acknowledge Your Anger.
2. Set Your Will to Forgive.
3. Pray the Prayer of Forgiveness.
4. Ask God to Help you seal with Your Angry Feelings.
5. Refuse to Keep Thinking About the Offence.

Engage in one act/discipline that can control your anger towards others.