{"id":784,"date":"2012-12-30T19:57:00","date_gmt":"2012-12-30T19:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/?p=784"},"modified":"2012-12-31T01:04:07","modified_gmt":"2012-12-31T01:04:07","slug":"what-do-we-do-with-anger-practically","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/?p=784","title":{"rendered":"What Do We Do With Anger Practically?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>Message by Chad Kelly<\/strong><\/p>\n

rec1230-113209<\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction\u201d\u201d<\/em>We all know what anger is, and we have all felt it.<\/p>\n

2012 seems to have been an angry year in many ways.\u00a0 Folks have been angry about the economy and about politics\u201d\u201dmaybe even more than usual.<\/p>\n

One columnist writes:<\/p>\n

In my opinion, the anger in America is as profound as that felt by those who fought in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. We can rest assured that it will be increasing dramatically over the next couple of years.<\/p>\n

Anger has many different faces.\u00a0 And I don\u201d\u2122t know which of these two are funnier!\u00a0(Angry Man and Angry Monkey slides).<\/p>\n

The truth is that when we\u201d\u2122re angry, we think about as reasonably as these chickens.\u00a0(Comic slide)<\/p>\n

But anger itself isn\u201d\u2122t funny\u201d\u201dit\u201d\u2122s painful and dangerous!\u00a0 (Danger slide)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Buddha<\/strong><\/p>\n

Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else.\u00a0 You are the one who gets burned.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

John Piper\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some people have more anger than they think, because it has disguises.\u00a0 When willpower hinders rage, anger smolders beneath the surface, and the teeth of the soul grind with frustration.\u00a0 It can come out in tears that look more like hurt.\u00a0 But the heart has learned that this may be the only way to hurt back.\u00a0 It may come out as silence because we have resolved not to fight.\u00a0 It may show up in picky criticism and relentless correction.\u00a0 It may strike out at persons that have nothing to do with its origin.\u00a0 It will often feel warranted by the wrongness of the cause.\u00a0 After all, Jesus got angry (Mark 3:5), and Paul says, \u201cBe angry and do not sin\u201d (Ephesians 4:26).\u00a0 However, good anger among fallen people is rare<\/em> . . . one of the greatest battles of life is the battle to \u201d\u02dcput away anger\u201d\u2122, not just control its expressions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do we do with anger practically<\/span>?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Three Actions<\/span><\/strong> we all need to take:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Slow Down Your Emotions & Tongue and Speed Up Your Ears and Mind.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    James 1:19-21<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Dear friends, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.\u00a0 Your anger can never make things right in God\u201d\u2122s sight.<\/p>\n

    *Bite Your Tongue<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    Proverbs 10:19\u201d\u201d\u201cDon\u201d\u2122t talk too much, for it fosters sin.\u00a0 Be sensible and turn off the flow!\u201d<\/p>\n

    *Open Your Ears<\/span>:\u00a0 Aim to Listen Longer<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

    *ReMind<\/span> Yourself that your anger never brings God\u201d\u2122s desired outcome.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/em>You\u201d\u2122ve got to get your mind in the right gear to keep your emotions from going out of control<\/span>!<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Colossians 3:8<\/strong><\/p>\n

    But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.\u201d<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    1 Timothy 2:8<\/strong><\/p>\n

    So wherever you assemble, I want\u00a0 men <\/span>to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    1 Timothy 2:8 (MSG)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray\u201d\u201dnot shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Slow down your emotions & tongue and speed up your ears and mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Be Committed to Deal with Your Anger Today, if at all possible.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Ephesians 4:26-27\u201d\u201c \u201cAnd \u201d\u02dcdon\u201d\u2122t sin by letting anger gain control over you.\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Don\u201d\u2122t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil.\u201d<\/p>\n

      Individually<\/em>\u201d\u201dYou leave your heart open for other sin that spring from the selfishness of not dealing with your anger.<\/p>\n

      Corporately:<\/em><\/p>\n

      NGSB:\u00a0 \u201cBecause practical unity among believers displays God\u201d\u2122s reconciling power, the devil especially prizes its disruption\u201d (1868).<\/p>\n

      Deal with your anger TODAY, if at all possible\u201d\u00a6<\/p>\n

      If you don\u201d\u2122t, you give away \u201cground\u201d to the Enemy!<\/em><\/p>\n

      \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Take Your Anger to the Cross and Exchange it for Forgiveness.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Ephesians 4:29-5:2<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Don\u201d\u2122t use foul or abusive language.\u00a0 Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.\u00a0 And do not bring sorrow to God\u201d\u2122s Holy Spirit by the way you live.\u00a0 Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.\u00a0 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.\u00a0 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.\u00a0 Follow God\u201d\u2122s example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.\u00a0 Live a life filled with love for others, following the example of Christ, who loved you and gave himself as a sacrifice to take away your sins.\u00a0 And God was pleased, because that sacrifice was like sweet perfume to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        There is no more practical way to deal with anger than to take a trip to the Cross!\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em>Nothing else addresses the root of anger in our hearts!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        That root is PRIDE\/SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS!<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        Piper:\u00a0 \u201cMost of our bitterness and anger towards others is rooted in an inability to be profoundly amazed at Christ\u201d\u2122s love for us in our sin.\u201d<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        Matthew 7:3-5\u201d\u201d\u201cAnd why worry about a speck in your friend\u201d\u2122s eye when you have a log in your own?\u00a0 How can you think of saying, \u201d\u02dcFriend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye\u201d\u2122 when you can\u201d\u2122t see past the log in your own eye?\u00a0 Hypocrite!\u00a0 First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend\u201d\u2122s eye?\u201d<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Anne Lamott<\/strong><\/p>\n

        You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Simone Weil<\/strong><\/p>\n

        I also am other than what I imagine myself to be.\u00a0 To know this is forgiveness<\/p>\n

        (Yancey, 104).<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Ephesians 4:32<\/strong><\/p>\n

        . . . be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Yancey<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Only the experience of being forgiven makes it possible for us to forgive . . . Only by living in the stream of God\u201d\u2122s grace will I find the strength to respond with grace toward others. \u00a0(What\u201d\u2122s So Amazing About Grace<\/span>?, 90, 93)<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Ronnie McBrayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Our participation in the mission of Christ \u201d\u201c our very communion with the Father \u201d\u201c depends upon our willingness to extinguish the burning inferno in our souls by forgiving those who have harmed us.<\/p>\n

        Matthew 5:21-26<\/strong> (NLT)<\/p>\n

        21\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYou have heard that our ancestors were told, \u201d\u02dcYou must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.\u201d\u2122 22\u00a0<\/sup>But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.<\/p>\n

        23\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cSo if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, 24\u00a0<\/sup>leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.<\/p>\n

        25\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cWhen you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. 26\u00a0<\/sup>And if that happens, you surely won\u201d\u2122t be free again until you have paid the last penny.<\/p>\n

        <\/h3>\n

        Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)<\/h3>\n

        14\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cIf you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15\u00a0<\/sup>But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.<\/p>\n

        George Herbert \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        He who cannot forgive another breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Luke 23:34<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Father, forgive these people, because they don\u201d\u2122t know what they are doing.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Yancey\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Notably, he [Jesus] forgave those who had not repented:\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcfor they do not know what they are doing\u201d\u2122 (119).<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Take your anger to the Cross and exchange it for forgiveness.\u00a0 There is no more practical way to deal with anger than to take a trip to the Cross!<\/em><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Conclusion\u201d\u201d<\/em>Henri Nouwen defines forgiveness as \u201clove practiced among people who love poorly\u201d (Yancey, 92).<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        And yet, God will give us the strength to exchange anger for forgiveness!<\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Ronnie McBrayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

        Is God-like forgiveness humanly possible? Yes, if it remains God\u201d\u2122s work! Forgiveness is not something we can accomplish on our own or within our own power (no more than we make the kingdom of God happen in the world). It\u201d\u2122s not something we conjure up. If forgiveness flows out of us to others, it is because God is doing it and not us ourselves.\u00a0 Consider those words we have prayed countless times: \u201cForgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us\u201d (Matthew 6:12, KJV). This phrase could be accurately translated: \u201cEmpower us to forgive others, with the forgiveness you have given us<\/em>.\u201d In praying that prayer, we admit and acknowledge that our ability to forgive comes from God. It is rooted in his forgiveness and grace. God must do it for us and through us, or it cannot be done. \u201d\u00a6forgiveness is not so much something we do, as it is something we discover. \u00a0It is the discovery of God\u201d\u2122s inexhaustible, inconceivable, insuppressible love \u201d\u201c for ourselves \u201d\u201c and even for those who have hurt us.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        \u201cWalter Wink tells of two peacemakers who visited a group of Polish Christians ten years after the end of World War II.\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcWould you be willing to meet with other Christians from West Germany?\u201d\u2122 the peacemakers asked.\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcThey want to ask forgiveness for what Germany did to Poland during the war and to begin to build a new relationship.\u201d\u2122\u00a0 At first there was silence.\u00a0 Then one Pole spoke up.\u00a0 \u201d\u02dcWhat you are asking is impossible.\u00a0 Each stone of Warsaw is soaked in Polish blood!\u00a0 We cannot forgive!\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Before the group parted, however, they said the Lord\u201d\u2122s Prayer together.\u00a0 When they reached the words \u201d\u02dcforgive us our sins as we forgive . . .,\u201d\u2122 everyone stopped praying.\u00a0 Tension swelled in the room.\u00a0 The Pole who had spoken so vehemently said, \u201d\u02dcI must say yes to you.\u00a0 I could no more pray the Our Father, I could no longer call myself a Christian, if I refuse to forgive.\u00a0 Humanly speaking, I cannot do it, but God will give us his strength!\u201d\u2122\u00a0 Eighteen months later the Polish and West German Christians met together in Vienna, establishing friendships that continue to this day\u201d (Yancey, 123).<\/p>\n

        Ronnie McBrayer<\/strong><\/p>\n

        God\u201d\u2122s forgiveness will change the world \u201d\u201c it must \u201d\u201c for it is the only thing that has ever really worked to truly absolve and resolve the past. It is the only thing that closes the door on what happened yesterday, and opens the door to a better future.<\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        \u201cWhat do we do with anger practically<\/span>?\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Slow Down Your Emotions & Tongue and Speed Up Your Ears and Mind.<\/em><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        Be Committed to Deal with Your Anger Today, if at all possible.<\/em><\/p>\n

        \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

        Take Your Anger to the Cross and Exchange it for Forgiveness.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Message by Chad Kelly rec1230-113209 Introduction\u201d\u201dWe all know what anger is, and we have all felt it. 2012 seems to have been an angry year in many ways.\u00a0 Folks have been angry about the economy and about politics\u201d\u201dmaybe even more … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-messages"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=784"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":788,"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/784\/revisions\/788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.crossroadchristianfellowship.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}