Thou Shall Not Kill

                Alright ya’ll, humor me.  Today has just been an “ugh” kind of day.  A day filled with frustration and aggravation, and it is only 9 o’clock in the morning.  I keep trying to remind myself that there is peace and love in the presence of God, but let me tell you today it is hard to hold onto.  Everything seems to be going wrong and my temper is trying hard to fight through.  As of right now, I am searching desperately for my internal muzzle.  I hope it makes it to my mouth before my flesh starts crying out.

                Anger is such an ugly thing.  I happened to walk past a mirror that I have hanging, for decorative purposes, in my living room. Let me tell you it shined a light on me real quick.  I realized for the first time how ugly my temper really is.  I stopped knee deep in angst and looked at my fiancé and asked, “Wow, do I always look this ugly when I am mad?”  Well, the look he gave me told it all as he tried the “manly” no of course nots.  I could tell that my temper out bursts really show how ugly I feel on the inside on the outside.  I feel ashamed.  I feel like I failed in a way because the only light that should be shining through me is the love of Jesus.  So before I go on I would like to share a quick prayer with everyone.

                “ Lord, I am angry and I am frustrated right now.  I know that I don’t have the strength to overcome these feelings by myself.  I really need you to help me.  You are an amazing God and you fulfill all my needs.  Right now I need your strength.  I need your peace.  My soul needs to rest in you because God this world is wreaking havoc inside of me.  Lord, I need you to help me remember how great it feels to be at rest in you and I give you my feelings of anger.  I give you my worries and frustration.  Lord, I want to walk in your strength today.  I will choose to forgive those who have angered me, those who have frustrated me, Lord I ask you to forgive me for my temper tantrum.  Lord, I ask you to help me forgive myself for the way I am acting.  Lord, I give it all to you because you are an Almighty God and I love you.

     In Jesus Mighty Name,

                Amen.

               

                 Whew, I don’t know about everyone else, but I am feeling a lot better now.  Okay, Anger is a nasty little booger.  If we hold on to it we let it have power over us and over our tongues and over our actions.  I want to explore some things that the Bible shares with us about anger:

Psalm 103:8-10:  The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our anger deserves or repay us according to our iniquities.

                {No matter what others say or do we shouldn’t fight fire with fire.  We shouldn’t continue to hold onto what is angering us.  God loves us even when we mess up.  I am sure we anger Him at times but His love for us burns so much brighter and He doesn’t treat us bad because we have upset Him.}

Proverbs 15:1: A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

                {If you choose to remain quiet or to answer anger in a gentle way the fire goes out.  No one wants to argue with someone who is not fighting back.  This is a practice that I find very hard to accomplish sometimes.  I have this need to have the final say, or to be the loudest.  God wants us to turn our cheek and keep going.}

Matthew 5:22: But, I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

                {Jesus meant that we should never allow ourselves to get to a place where we are so angry that we act thoughtlessly and destroy relationships and ourselves.  He wants us to have thought control just as much as action control.}

Ephesians 4:25-5:2:  Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “ 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…….(29) Do  not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ god forgave you.  Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love. Just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

                {I believe that the above is pretty much self-explanatory.  I was looking in my bible for something to share and it just popped out to me.  I feel the Holy Spirit speaking this to my heart.  I hope that if you are in need of a balm for your soul that it helps you as well.}

                I hope that, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we can all come to a point where we do not allow our anger to get the best of us.  If you know someone who is dealing with anger issues or just needs a word, reach out to them.  Let them know that you love them and that you are there for them.  Love is the cure for most everything. 

                Love in Christ,

                                Kristine