Overcoming Anger – It’s Possible
The Following is an Excerpt out of our Book, Angry Without a Cause (Click Here to Order).
Jerry Bridges, in his book, The Pursuit of Holiness, wrote: “Only one who has a strong desire to be holy will ever persevere in the painfully slow and difficult task of pursuing holiness.” (3)
Painful. Difficult. Slow. Most of us readily receive words like victory, breakthrough, overcome, restoration, and renewal, but words like painful, difficult, and slow, are not very appealing descriptions, are they?
My natural side would like to give every one of you that struggles with anger ten easy steps that will work within 24 hours. The underlying difficulty with this is that God has not provided any such remedy. He has, however, started with the promise that consistent victory over the sins that continually beat you down is ENTIRELY POSSIBLE.
In chapter one I mentioned a verse in Ephesians that commands us to forsake “all bitterness, and wrath, and anger . . .” Consider this! Would God give us a command that is impossible to keep? In my opinion that would be form of spiritual torture.
Also, let’s consider Galatians 5:22-23. These verses talk explicitly about the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Just as an apple tree is to produce apples and an orange tree has been designed to bear oranges, every Christian is expected to produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit. These fruits are love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and TEMPERANCE.
I get excited about the word temperance. It literally means to have self-control. I guess my excitement is due to the fact that without Christ I don’t have a whole lot of self-discipline. My parents, my former college buddies, and my wife can all attest to that. I’m actually a “basket case” without the Holy Spirit, and that has been one of the main reasons I have clung so close to Christ since my conversion.
In regards to the issue of anger, the need is not for you to have more will-power, but more Supernatural power. You must come to the point where you realize that serving Christ isn’t hard; it’s impossible without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Herein lies what I believe to be the fundamental difference between modern psychology and Christianity. Psychology can sometimes give you the right things to do, but it can NEVER GIVE YOU THE POWER TO DO THOSE THINGS. Many thanks be to God for not only telling us what to do, but giving us the ability to be obedient unto Him. Praise God!
There seems to be a good number of songs sung and testimonies given in the church that make much of the Christian’s victory over the penalty of sin. That’s all wonderful and biblical at the same time; however, when God sent Jesus to the earth, He had more in mind than just getting us into Heaven. He also sent Christ so that WE could reveal a little bit of Heaven on earth through lives pleasing to Him. Here are a few verses in the New Testament that reveal this awesome truth:
II Corinthians 5:14-15: “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: AND THAT HE DIED FOR ALL, THAT THEY WHICH LIVE SHOULD NOT HENCEFORTH LIVE UNTO THEMSELVES, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again.”
I Peter 2:24: “Who [Christ] His own self bare our sins in His body on the tree [cross], that we, being dead to sins, SHOULD LIVE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS . . .”
Titus 2:14: “Who [Christ] gave Himself for us, that He might redeem [deliver] us from all iniquity, and PURIFY UNTO HIMSELF a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
This entire chapter has been designed to give you some pro-active measures to effectively deal with anger, but before we go further it must be understood that God has made a way for you to be set free from the sins in your life that so quickly hurt your testimony, and your confidence toward God and others around you.
Watch this Short Video to See if Your Marriage May be Caught in the Cycle of Resentment and Anger
To Order our Audio Cd Series called How to Break the Cycle of Resentment and Anger in Your Marriage, Click Here.
