Tender Mind. Tender Heart.

Have you ever noticed how nothing feels right, tastes right or even goes right when we’re angry? It could be something as simple as doing your hair. At first, no hairstyle feels right. Then your outfit looks hideous even though you loved it last week. Next, you hate the accessories, the color and the list goes on and on. It’s like anger, or strong emotions like it, chips away at the walls that keep our other emotions in check. When we’re angry, we are more likely to be short or argumentative with friends or family. We tend to be short-tempered, irrational and emotionally incoherent. In fact, in Proverbs 29:22 it goes so far as to say that an angry person stirs up strife. Anger is the type of emotional misery that is always looking for company.

Anger can be persuasive and very seductive in that it can quickly leads us into other destructive emotions like rage, bitterness, resentment and hatred—all of which can result in sin if it’s not properly dealt with. Think of cancer like a dripping faucet. Initially, dripping faucets don’t seem to be that big of a deal. After all, the sink is pretty big. However, if the sink should become clogged or closed off for some reason, the water from the dripping faucet can and will add up. In no time at all, your sink will be overflowing with water bringing with it water damage and mold. The same holds true with anger.

If we don’t address the dripping faucet of anger in our own lives eventually it will flow out of us and affect everyone and everything within close proximity. Hence the bible gives us good advice on how to deal with anger.

When angry do not sin; do not ever let your wrath, fury or exasperation last until the sun goes down.

Did you catch that? From the time we encounter anger we have twenty-four hours to work through it. So, if your spouse, child or co-worker does something to make you angry, don’t keep that anger bottled up inside you. Go to the person, honestly and express your feelings. Give them a chance to possibly right their wrong or at the very least apologize.

Much like Buddhists believe in ridding themselves of destructive emotions like anger, God tells us this: The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. – James 1:20. Anger does not bring out the best in us. It does not lead others to the cross. It does not testify to the goodness of God nor does it bring God glory. Anger is an emotion that we all experience at one point or another. But refusing to work through our anger gives the adversary the opportunity to steal our joy and peace of mind.

Moreover when we are angry, it is virtually impossible to hear the voice of wisdom. When we’re brooding in negative or destructive emotions, we are not sensitive to the spirit of God. Instead, we’re hard.

©2010-2013 Minister Claretta Taylor Pam, Global Ecumenical Ministries Inc. and Universal Life Church Monastery of Massachusetts. All Rights Reserved