Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-7
Week 8 of the Love Series. Anger (pause). I know that we have all dealt with this emotion from time to time. In my own life, I discovered that it is a spirit inherited from my biological father.
Anger, like some of the other non characteristics, has a deep root. It festers beneath the surface. A peculiar thing that I discovered...it is often misplaced. What do I mean? The person or thing that is the source of our anger is not always the recipient of our anger. Often times, in my life, innocent people are the recipient, while the true culprit is unaffected and sometimes unaware. Anger is one of the most destructive and toxic emotions.
Anger manifest itself in different ways. Some have great outbursts, others withdraw, while others sink into a deep depression. Did you know that a cause depression is repressed anger? If your honest with yourself, you'll probably identify some undertones of anger in your life. If you have...who or what are you angry about?
This series (it bears repeating) is about introspection. If you're not honest with anyone else, be honest with yourself. Anger is deadly. It has tentacles that reach into many aspects of our lives unaware: marriage, children, job, health, etc.
I encourage you this week to let go of any anger that you might have toward others, your life, or yourself. The first step is to stop justifying your anger. Don't allow the misfortunes and disappointments of your past to rob you of the awesome future that God has for you. Nothing is too hard for God...give it over to Him. Ask God to help you release the person and/or situation that has caused you to be angry and "set yourself free". The only person in bondage when you hold on to anger is YOU, not the person.
Don't be condemned, be encouraged!
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