Devotional 9-10-16

Anger Management

1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I knew I was in trouble when I cursed the bar of Ivory soap. For weeks I had watched it slowly slide across the shower stall shelf and fall to the floor. “I need to buy a soap holder,” I would think, but I hadn’t followed through. Of course, having to pick up the soap again was not really the problem. I was just seriously, destructively angry.

There are things going on in my life right now that are not pleasant. I am angry. But I want to make it clear that I’m not angry with with anyone in particular. I am not angry with or feel deserted by God. My anger comes from an inability to fix things, to put them back the way they were.

When the soap incident happened, I knew I needed help. In the past when anger of this magnitude reared its ugly heard - my father’s stroke, my mother’s cancer- I would work as hard as I could to fix it and then self-medicate. That didn’t work then; I knew it wouldn’t work now. I asked God for help and my answer came in the strangest form.

As I ate my Sunday morning breakfast ( Yes, I have breakfast before I eat second breakfast in my Sunday School class), I flipped channels until I landed on the show “In Touch” with Dr. Charles Stanley. I have always loved his Southern accent, and on this particular day, he looked up from his TV podium and into my eyes. “You have to deal with your anger,” he said. “It’s a destructive behavior!” For a moment I thought I was in the movie Pleasantville. My mouth dropped open, I retrieved pencil and paper, and for the next hour I listened and took notes.

He said that to be victorious over anger, one must do several things.

She must identify it,

confess it,

purposely deal with it,

take emotional time outs,

replace it with something meaningful,

benefit from it,

and prevent it from reoccurring.

His explanations and examples helped clarify each stage; I could see that this might help.

Kim Matthews recently wrote about her experience with a bottle of water and making a real connection with a lady in need. Her story reminded me that God puts us where we need to be to hear His message or share His message. That Sunday morning I heard God’s message for me. I hope that sharing it will help you.I imagine all of us could use a little anger management from God.

Dear Father, we have lived long enough to know that everyone must deal with anger. We also know that it can’t be quantified or qualified. What we sometimes forget is how physically and spiritually damaging it can be. Please give us the strength, support, and information to help us when anger takes over our lives. We need You and Your peace now and forever.

Amen

  

Becky Warren