A great study from Kim:
“Do NOT be quickly provoked in your spirit, for ANGER resides in the lap of fools.”
Ecclesiastes 7: 9
Anger!!! It eventually causes bitterness!
Bitterness ROBS us of our JOY!!!!
EATS AWAY at our spirit!
and does NOT come from God!!!!
God tells us “NOT to be provoked quickly!!”
Even when…
… someone cuts us off on the road! … someone yells at us!! … we find out others are talking about us behind our back! … we are wrongly accused!! Even when……………
WHERE does ANGER and BITTERNESS GET US??
It doesn’t solve anything!!!
It doesn’t turn back time!!!
Only through Christ are we able to GIVE IT UP!
Only through Christ are we able to FORGIVE!!
Only through Christ are we able to be WISE and LET IT GO!!
Let us remember that there is also GOOD anger! Even Jesus got angry when “He found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money….. To those who sold doves He said, ‘Get out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a market!!” John 2: 14 and 16
Our anger is justified when someone aborts an innocent child,
….when a loved one is abused,
… when someone abuses alcohol and harms another,
or when…………
BUT, the question is what do we DO WITH that anger?? Do we get even? Do we harbor anger for the rest of our lives? Are we a FOOL? (as it says in our Scripture)
Do we take positive and loving action? Do we forgive and move on?
Are we wise in our actions?
Author of Life, please help us in our anger, help us to hold our tongue and restrain from any action BEFORE we say or do anything we will regret and/or turn someone away from You!!
Withholding anger only takes us out of Your Presence Father!! Please help us to constructively deal with it and let it go!
You WARN us NOT to be quickly provoked- not to act on our own sinful desires!!
You know us so well Father!!!
You know how selfish we are!!!
How much we would love to get even at any expense!!!!
How WE want to right the wrong!!!
Take it into our own hands!!
We ask for Your Holy Spirit to CHANGE US Lord, to HELP us respond in a way that brings others closer to You and not to push them away!!!! May they SEE YOU and Your Love Father instead of seeing us and our natural inclination to get even!!
