Christian Family Services Ministry

10-25-2019 – A Word to the Wise – It is time for us to take a realistic look at anger and its affects. The material is lengthy so it will be presented in parts
Part 1
Anger is not only one of the most prevalent, but also one of the most difficult sins to rid ourselves. Anger occurs at various levels of intensity ranging from irritation to racial genocide. The breadth of anger may be as short as a few mere seconds or it may extend throughout many generations. How does one put aside the sin of anger?
The first step in putting aside one’s anger is that of recognizing the anger in oneself. It is astounding the number of people who have no idea that they have a problem with anger. I have seen people go into rages lasting thirty or forty minutes. I would confront them with their anger and they would get upset saying, “I never get angry.” Acknowledgement precedes any definitive action required to change the anger habit. Once anger is acknowledged then it can be traced to its source.
The propensity for anger is most often traced to one’s childhood disappointments and injuries, which are relived in the present. Anger may be acquired through harm, perceived danger, or loss. Anger may be passed on to us by parents or significant others, by their attitudes or behavior. Many people say that they struggle with anger on a continuous basis and profess failure in conquering it. Our object is to define what anger is, understand its source, reveal ways to resolve anger, and learn how to arm ourselves against it.

Resolution of anger means fighting its existence in the body, mind, heart, and spirit. The arduous task of ridding these four areas of anger requires different forms of combat. We should take seriously Jesus’ warning in the parable of the house swept clean that the house may become re-infected if the void left by the house cleaning is not filled with new character. Therefore, we must put on the armor that protects us from further infestation.
There are seven behavioral activities in the body that reveal a person’s anger. These behavioral activities occur on ascending levels of intensity, which include corresponding physical consequences. Each level has its own unique traits. God provides for us specific instructions concerning these levels throughout the book of Proverbs.