Anger No More
by PJ
Anger: A strong passion or emotion of displeasure or antagonism, excited by a real or supposed injury or insult to one's self or others, or by the intent to do such injury.
People are faced with so many situations in life and the days in which we live are full of pain, suffering, frustration and loss. We receive many emails for prayer and when I begin to pray over them, often I see an issue no one talks about. People, in general, are angry. Angry about politics, angry about their lots in life, angry about the gap between "the haves" and "the have nots", angry about perceived wrongs, angry about the driver in front of them on the road, angry at authorities for doing their jobs, angry , angry, angry...
The problem with anger is that angry people take their own actions instead of turning to G-d and allowing Him to work. You see, it's not anger that brings people to repentance, it's the love of G-d. It's the goodness of G-d that brings changes in others. So anger is the opposite reaction to obtain what people desire.
Ya'akov/James 1:19-20 AMP says, "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God." Without the righteousness of G-d, prayer is rendered powerless because to come to G-d, one must come in righteousness. Have you felt like the heavens are brass to your prayers while you are angry about the situation you are praying about? This is why.
People who allow anger to cause them to have immediate reaction almost always wind up in great trouble. We see it all the time on the news; for instance, a man gets angry at his girlfriend and shoots her, a man is angry at his employer and kills 20 people in the plant, a teenager is angry at the driver in front of her and runs the driver down, a person gets hit and answers back with a stabbing. It takes great strength to resist immediate reaction. In fact, one can only accomplish it by the power of G-d. It is written in Mashali/Proverbs 14:29 AMP "He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, But he who is impulsive exalts folly." We are further reminded in Mashali/Proverbs 16:32 AMP "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." That's a great deal of strength.
We are exhorted in T'hillim/Psalms 37:8 AMP "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret -- it only causes harm." What harm? Anger stops the power of G-d in the situation you desire changed as well as your life. That's great harm if you are wanting G-d to fight your battles.
Kohelet/Ecclesiastes 7:9 AMP warns "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools." This is an extremely powerful piece of knowledge. Why?
Because as it is written in Mashali/Proverbs 18:7 AMP, "A (self-confident) fool's mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to himself. You can be sure that a person operating in anger is also operating in foolishness and is headed straight toward destruction and possibly death and eternal separation from G-d without change.
I met a young man many years ago who was angry. I don't think I have ever known a more angry man. He had his youth, his health, a good job, friends, a family that loved him but he was always angry because of a secret sin in his life that he was covering. His life of pretense was sabotaging his happiness. His anger turned into violence against others. He began beating his wife, cursing his family, and there came a point where he forsook all that was good in his life as he railed against G-d. The cost of this foolish behavior was his life. As I attended his funeral, I kept thinking, what a ridiculous thing anger truly is. This man's memory is even marred as those who would bother remembering him always remember the anger and it's outcome.
I was in a store parking lot not long ago and saw two women physically fighting over some man who wasn't even around. There they were in the middle of a crowded parking lot, with people watching and hearing them, yelling obscenities and trying to tear one another apart. What did it accomplish? I can tell you. It opened the door to strife and the Bible says that where strife is, every evil work is also. So they used a key to invite ha'satan in to destroy their lives. This is indeed foolishness.
The evil that is unleashed through anger is extreme. We were not created equipped to hand out vengeance. Only in purity of love can vengeance be meted out without repercussion. This is why G-d said "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for (God's) wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good."(Romans 12:20-21 AMP)
Just to show you how extreme the evil is that is unleashed by anger, the Bible says in Mati'yahu/Matthew 5:22-24 (AMP)"But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! (You emptyheaded idiot)! shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire." It can bring a person to the place he/she is unable to escape hell altogether.
So what must we do? Colossians 3:8 AMP says, "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth." "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Moshiach forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31,32) "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the LORD will reward you." (Mashali/Proverbs 25:21-22)
There's great liberty and great freedom in just not reacting. It's difficult to re-train oneself to just let things go and allow G-d to take care of them, but it's something we have to do if we are obedient children of G-d. G-d's hand is not shortened that it cannot save us.
Ultimately, heaven is the goal of the child of G-d. We cannot get there without our sin forgiven. And it is written in Matit'yahu/Matthew 6:14 AMP "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you."
Most of the things that make us so angry are not so important when matched up with an eternal destiny. And if they are so important to us, we can be assured they are important to our Heavenly Father too. Turn them over to Him and allow His love to change the people and situation. You'll be really glad you made the decision to anger no more.
“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified Bible."
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