ANGER MANAGEMENT
CHRISTIANITY OASIS has provided you with this ANGER MANAGEMENT study. With increasing stress in today's lifestyles, Anger Management is something that has become increasingly important for those who have trouble controlling anger. For many, anger can create emotions that appear to overwhelm our soul and cause many negative changes in our lives. This anger management study will help you to deal with your anger and find out what the Bible says about Anger Management. Let us seek and find the TRUTH of anger management together, shall we?

I want to begin by saying that this study is not only for those of you who would like to learn how to overcome your own anger, but is also for those of you who would like to learn how to cope with people that get angry with you.

Now, put all your cares away and make sure you won't be interrupted for a while, because you'll want to give your undivided attention to this very important matter that we're about to discuss. Make sure you're comfortable open your mind and heart cuz what you're about to learn may just save your life, and others.

Let's start off with the first reaction that you might have if you've been told that you need to control your anger ... MORE ANGER

 Anger is a difficult issue to address without sounding accusatory. I want to assure you right from the start that I'm not here to judge but rather to help. 

 
 BLAME GAME

What we must do first is seek the origin of anger. Most do try and reason things out afterward, but the conclusion they seek is justification rather than TRUTH. They actually manipulate their on soul and believe that there has to be some reason, or some person, OTHER THAN THEMSELVES who is the cause for our anger.

In TRUTH … It is and always be US that allowed this plague of the mind and heart to enter. The simple reason we get angry is that we feel someone or something wronged US. Therefore, it is a SELFISH reaction.

I will prove this point … If a person at a restaurant called you a foul word after you accidentally bumped into them, one of the FIRST reactions that comes to your mind, is who else heard that. If you are in a chat room and someone disagrees with you openly, one of your first reactions is what are the people thinking. WHY is that? Simple ... It is pride.

We can actually trace the blame of ANGER back to a time, when an angel named satan, who out of selfish pride and jealousy toward God, CON-vinced Eve to disobey God, by promising her this and that and PRIDE was created. She then passed the deceit on to Adam, and as a result we all inherited what is called “ORIGINAL SIN.”

 So, in all TRUTH, the thing that we can trace the blame for our anger to … Is SELFISH PRIDE. Now we’ve identified the source of the anger … So what? Soooooooo, we have found out that we’re not to blame, and others aren’t to blame either … It is NOT our fault that PRIDE exists. BUT … We did CHOOSE to get angry and when we choose to continue to entertain the PRIDE … That’s when we become responsible for it, and I know this is difficult to digest, especially when you are knee deep in anger … But, it is sin.

In TRUTH, unless resolved, it continues to grow within and is a foundation for even more sin. HOWEVER ... Knowing what the source of the sin is, you can more effectively deal with it. Your anger isn't going anywhere if you don't deal with it properly, and the best way to do that is to learn about it and it’s origin.

An important thing to note at this point is that even though the devil uses anger as yet another method of encaging our soul … There is what we will call HOLY ANGER. How can I dare say this? Cuz Jesus got angry.  

 Cool … So we get to use this as a reason by which to allow anger to reign within our minds and hearts? Not a chance. The following words should be echoing through your mind and heart if you will HEAR the Holy Spirit … VENGEANCE IS MINE, SAITH THE LORD.

Now, there are some out there that are just itching to show me scripture that they interpret as saying that Christians have the right to use anger against another soul … So let me just address that now. There MAY be times when God, which uses us as vessels, will reveal His anger through HIS vessel as to reach another soul but that isn’t what we are typing about, now is it? We are looking into UNCONTROLLED anger which has its roots in selfish pride. It is easy to distinguish the difference. One seeks to glorify YOU and the other seeks to glorify GOD.

 Now that we have that understood, let’s talk about remedy. You have probably heard many different theories about anger management. For example “Get in touch with those feelings” ... “Express your anger verbally and in a controlled environment”  ... “Release your anger through exercise” ... Get a prescription for whatever it is that everybody's taking nowadays, but watch out for the bazillion side effects that you might get, while you're trying to treat one symptom ... The list goes on.

Notice that each suggested remedy requires that you accept the anger as commonplace and natural. We are not taught by God to do so but rather to RESIST it. We're going to deal with all those theories, with one little scripture that the Apostle Peter wrote:

What does that mean? It means ... 

BE ALERT!

... Because the devil walks around like a lion on the prowl, looking for souls to devour. You should RESIST him with strong Faith, and know that the rest of your fellow Christians in the world are potential prey of his as well.

What's that got to do with anger and why we should resist it?

I'd like to remind you that earlier, we traced the blame of anger to pride which was introduced by the devil ... Now isn't anger a perfect weapon for the devil to use if he knows it becomes sin if you accept it and allow it to grow?  

I must concede to the TRUTH that God is the only judge of a person's guilt or innocence, but I ask you, when you're angry, don’t you just FEEL like something doesn't feel right? Almost like you are inside of a plastic bag. Do you feel close to and in harmony with the Lord when you're angry?   

I want to stress that nobody is trying to condemn you ... Anger is a tough thing to conquer if you don't understand it, and believe me, the devil takes advantage of the fact that most don't know how to manage it ... Because they don't know that he's the one serving it up! It's a trick ... Just like all the rest of his tricks ... And it's all part of the battle of spiritual warfare that each of us face every day of our lives. It's the devil, trying to win your soul away from God.

You're not going to believe how much the Bible talks about anger, and how to deal with it, but I'm going to show you scripture today that will change your attitude from "Anger is a normal emotion that everyone feels," to "Anger is a temptation of the devil," and that TRUTH will set you free of the anger that you've been accepting as a NORMAL reaction.

 Anger, like any other habit, is something that you have to devise a strategic plan to eliminate. It's not something that you planted there to begin with. It's not something that you want to keep. It's just sin, conjured up by the devil, that God doesn't want you to entertain ... Period.

Let’s talk about some of the reactions that are related to anger … Some of the other weeds in the Pride family.

Jealousy … Greed … Revenge … Scorn … Wrath … Rage … Hatred

Ugly aren't they? These psycho babbling professionals who claim that you have to take the bull by the horns and tackle that anger head on ... Don't believe it. If you’ve ever been to a non-Christian based counseling program of any kind, you’ll be misguided into thinking that these reactions are “normal” and that you must “get in touch” with those feelings. Likewise when people lose a loved one, they’re encouraged to “get in touch” with their grief. By the way, that phrase “get in touch” means “allow and accept” ...

My friend, the Lord, your Physician, never said THAT! Quite the opposite is what the Word of God says. We'll take a look at the TRUTH in scripture in just a minute, but first, I'd like you to open your mind to something. When you think of anger, you think of it being a BOLD and STRONG emotion. If you're a person who is inclined to submit to anger, you DO have the STRENGTH to fight it.

But consider this ... Do you have to FIGHT it? Doesn't fighting it suggest that it's some kind of addiction ... And isn't addiction a condition that people retain because they lack the STRENGTH to say no to something? Keep this in mind ... Anger is not the kind of addiction that requires withdrawal. It IS a habit, however, and all you need to do, is replace anger with a different reaction whenever it rears it's ugly head.

The new reaction that you want to practice in the place of anger, is controlling your thoughts. Controlling your thoughts is a command in the Bible. We are taught to RENEW our Mind.

You can check out the Renew your mind study to learn more. Our Mind controls our spirit (You can check out the Trinity study to learn more about this) This Spiritual procedure is happening with or without your knowledge of or belief in it. If you are not controlling your thoughts, your thoughts are controlling you and your spirit is on an emotional rollercoaster.

I'd like for you to think about something. Is the Lord's anger too slow for you? You may grow impatient waiting for the Lord to recompense your offender(s), but there are also other things to consider. Have you ever been an offender? Has anyone ever grown angry with you? As a Christian, aren't we supposed to hope for every soul to turn to the Lord and be saved, not punished? Don't we want God's anger to be slow when we're the ones who may be the recipient?

Here's yet another consideration ... if we're made in God's image, shouldn't we strive to be like Him?

Slow down just a little ... I don't want you to miss that 'plenteous in mercy' part. If you practice mercy (forgiveness) the way Jesus taught, you'll find that anger will lose all of it's power. The adversary hates that one. The Apostle Paul is an advocate of turning your anger into forgiveness:

The Bible warns us that if you're enthusiastic about the Lord punishing your offender ... Things may just backfire!

Have you ever been doing something, and a thought pops into your head about something that happened some time ago? Then you think about it for a little while and it makes you angry. And you think about it some more, and you find other reasons why it makes you angry. And the more you think about it, the angrier you get! Pretty soon, you’re thinking about things that happened years ago that are done and over with that you’re still angry about, and getting even angrier!

Jealousy, covetousness, pride ... These are just a few of the reasons why we get angry, but I have to motivate you once again to search for the source of these emotions. Friend, these can only come from one thing ... They are certainly not godly fruits, so you can only conclude that they come from the world ... which belongs to the adversary.

Sometimes it is not people we get angry at ... But PRIDE is still the root. If you don't have as much money as you'd like, if you wish you looked different, if you desire more fame or recognition of some kind ... These are all things that can initiate anger in us. The best advice I can give you, is to sincerely search your heart and decide if the reason you're pursuing any of these things to glorify God ... Or YOU. My bet, is that IF they would glorify God, He would grant them to you. So perhaps THINKING differently would help. 

David wrote about Anger of his Psalms. I'll give it to you in layman's terms: Forgive us God, because we are very angry. Our soul is angry at those who don't have to work as hard as us, and those who are confident. 

There's a great lesson here:

PRAY FOR YOUR ANGER TO BE REMOVED

We must change our concept on how we believe we as Christians are to be treated as to be able to change the anger habit from within. We MUST remember that those we encounter are caught up in the same trap of the mind set by our COMMON enemy. Don't let the devil get you with the boomerang effect of hatred. If someone is angry with you, that doesn't mean you have to be angry back. These are a few things that Jesus taught us about hate:

God is so cool. Never forget that God protects and awards the underdog if they're humble. 

We all want God to stick up for us when we're hated. If you refrain from hate, and trust in your Father to take care of things that cause that emotion in you, He will laugh at them, and He will fill your mouth with laughter too:

 So why wouldn't God treat us accordingly if we hate others? Answer: He will.

Remember earlier when I said that anger could be detrimental to the final destination of your soul? Take a look:

 I have put emphasis on drunkenness for a reason. Some people get downright angry when they get drunk. Wine is supposed to make the heart merry, but for those who can't control their thoughts and/or consumption it can have adverse effects, and the adversary would just love to deceive you when you're in a physical state that may allow him to win your soul. If you find that drinking does anything other than make your heart merry, be smart and lay off of it, for your own good, for the good of your soul, and for the good of others.

Let's talk about something very important ... Something that people don't take seriously enough. What happens when you get angry with God? You can't hide from Him:

Whew! Sounds pretty serious doesn't it? Now, you may be thinking that you can get mad at God without hating Him, but I feel a strong impulse to advise you ... Don't do it. Who would want to be out of God's good Graces for even one instant? Don't take that chance. Besides, He's the good guy. The devil has CON-vinced you that you should be angry with God.

Here's an interesting thing to ponder on ... Do you find that when you're angry with God, you find it much easier to be mad at other people as well? What about when you're mad at a person, do you find it much easier to get mad at God? 

The next time you're walking around with a chip on your shoulder, look again ... It's not a chip, it's an imp.

Some things never change. God has always been against hatred:

Another very big advocate of not hating your brother, was the Apostle John ... He stresses the importance of this repeatedly:

If you have hatred in your heart for someone, and you lie about it, you will be found out, and not only by the person you harbor hatred for, but by the entire congregation!

ANGER ... A SIGN OF THE END TIMES

Before the Great Tribulation of the End Times, anger and hatred will be very prevalent:

We're seeing signs of the End Times unfold before our eyes, so be alert. Don't get lured into the devil's lair. Remember 

... the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour ...

If you'll recall, at the beginning of this study, I mentioned that you'll be surprised about how much the Bible talks about anger. Let me show you some scripture that gives both TRUTH and advice about ... 

ANGER

How about a little summary of all those? 

Anger causes foolishness.
Where there is anger, there's bound to be trouble, and sin.
To control your anger is wise.
Anger can cause hate and discouragement.
Anger is a heavy burden.

Have you been called to be a shepherd? If you feel the Spirit moving you to serve the Lord and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, anger has no place in your life. You have to be able to guide the lost sheep firmly, but with an even temper.

What is ... SCORN?

The dictionary describes it as vigorous contempt or an emotion involving anger and disgust. You can think of it as that feeling you may have had before that makes you want to grit your teeth and growl at someone.

There's an old saying that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. This isn't a funny thing, people. Women who use those kind of sayings as excuses to be angry women, are on the wrong path, and it's just more opportunity for the devil to lead them away from direction they should be heading ... humility. Not only does this go for women, but anyone who is prone to a scornful attitude should read this:

It seems to be that scorn is something that causes people to be stubborn, and they won't listen to correction:

Once you reach a state of scorn, it takes punishment before a person comes to reason: