Anger - Loving or Not Loving??

Anger is a heightened emotion that leads us act against someone or something. It can either be a right action, or a wrong action. I think the defining quality in our actions must be love. Are we acting out of love or not?

I think there are two main ways in which we can get angry and still love...

When we get angry because of injustice, we need to respond in a way that restores relationship and show GOD's love. Our actions need to remind others of GOD's promises and purposes for His people. We need to encourage them and show them His love.

Anger is also a necessary step in dealing with grief or trauma, if the heightened emotion leads us to growth and renewal, then our anger has been righteous! I believe that if we are led to stand up for GOD AND encourage others, then we are learning more about how Jesus lived.

I also think that there are three main ways in which we get angry, and don't act in love... let me share briefly, we'll look closer at these areas in the posts to come!

SUDDEN ANGER: The type that gets you splitting mad in a split second. Will Rogers once said 'People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.'

STORED ANGER: We mull over things and keep a record of wrongs against us, just waiting to freak out! This is the Alice-the-Camel type, it's starts small and then grows until it becomes a monster within, that controls us.

SILLY ANGER: We grumble, bicker and gossip. We spread our stored anger and get really silly - remember, for every minute your are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness!

I want you to know that anger is both necessary and commonplace in our everyday lives, with GOD's love, we can become masters of our own anger and not let it master us!