(From our church-wide devotion book at Pinedale Christian Church, "You 2.0”)
Do you ever get angry for no reason? I’m talking about losing it over something that your better judgment tells you is insignificant? For me, that happens most often when I am behind the wheel of my car.
I have what some people refer to as “road rage.” Looking at me, you might not be able to tell I am capable of such anger and (temporary) hatred, but as soon as I get behind a wheel, my blood pressure starts to rise. Slow drivers set me off! Even if the person in front of me is going the speed limit, I get angry and start looking for chances to pass.
Stoplights get me, too. When I’m in the groove, making good time and singing with the radio, and the light turns yellow and then red - (as if it knows that I’m the one coming up next) — it makes me insane. My blood is actually boiling just thinking about it!
I think most of us have triggers of some sort. You may not experience road rage, but I bet there is something in your life that just sets you off. More than likely, when you look back later, it doesn’t seem quite as important as it did in the moment, but in the moment, it was everything!
Can you think of a time when you “lost it” over something like that? As you picture the incident in your memory, are you proud of your reaction? Probably not, huh? More than likely, in hindsight, you are way more upset about your reaction than you are about the thing that made me angry? Why? Because untamed anger has consequences.
Let’s return to my road-rage example. Picture this scene: A stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard is tailgating the car in front of her. When the light turns yellow, he slows to a stop instead of accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman hits the roof and the horn. She rolls down her window and begins to scream at the other driver when a face suddenly appears beside the car. It is the face of a very serious police officer. He orders the woman to exit her car with her hands up. He cuffs her and takes her to the police station where she is searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.
A few hours later, the lady is led back to the booking desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her personal effects. He looks sheepish. “I’m very sorry for this mistake. I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the “Choose Life” license plate holder, the “What Would Jesus Do” bumper sticker, the “Follow Me to Sunday-School” bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car.”
God has called us to be Christ-like, and just like Christ, He wants us to control our anger. In fact, look at Hebrews 12:14: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” God puts the responsibility on us to “make every effort to live in peace.” We must learn how to remain calm and controlled and handle difficult people as Jesus did.
Remember, Jesus experienced anger. In fact, there is a time for righteous anger. Righteous anger has nothing to do with life’s little inconveniences. It’s anger directed at injustice and hypocrisy. It’s anger directed at deceptions that lead people astray. In other words, it’s anger grounded in love.
But more often than not, our anger is NOT righteous. We direct anger at frustrating people and stinging disappointments and minor inconveniences. We allow those things to get inside our hearts and build pressure until we blow up. That’s not healthy for us, and it is a poor testimony of Jesus who lives inside of us. After all, while Jesus did experience anger, He handled difficult people and circumstances with peace, calm, and clarity.
For example, when the Pharisees brought an adulterous woman to Jesus, they hoped to trick him into either losing favor with the people or denouncing the law. If I had been in that situation, I would have been furious! Who did these people think they were?? I don’t know what Jesus felt inside, but I do know that He stayed peaceful and controlled on the outside. As a result, He was able to deter His critics and minister to this woman.
This is exactly what we are called to do as Christians. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
That kind of approach takes effort. Anger is easy. It feels justified. More often than not, it comes from the heart. That’s why, to combat anger, you need to fill yourself with something better and more powerful – the peace that passes all understanding that can only come from the Holy Spirit.
(Con't)