Anger can never heal a relationship. Wrath is almost always confronted with more wrath. And the old cliché, "Sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never harm me" is a lie. Angry words wound the soul, crush the spirit, break the unmendable heart. Usually, anger comes from a hurt heart and is an attempt to hurt the offender as deeply as I have been hurt. Thus, it is the renunciation of our Savior"s love: "Father forgive them." It is a violation of the principle of relationships found in Philippians: "Let each esteem others better than themselves." In every relationship, the prayer of the saint is always "if anyone is going to be hurt in this relationship, let it be me." We are called to do as our Savior did, pour ourselves out for others. Anger leads to bitterness. Bitterness leads us to a hard-hearted, stone-cold, point of no return. We may, like Esau, weep tears, but they will be tears of self-pity not restoration. It will be too late for restoration. It is a soft answer that turns away wrath; it is a forgiving spirit that enriches love; it is a pouring out of oneself for another that saturates the world with Calvary"s love. The spiritual weapons of a Christian soldier, the weapons that tear down every idea opposed to the knowledge of God and take captive every thought into obedience to Christ, are gentleness and mercy"not a sharp tongue and an angry word. May we be unafraid to be the wounded so that the glory"the presence"of God will be evident to those around us"to those we claim to love the most.
---Al Iten
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I like that. Its hard to always be the one who makes the first move towards restoration when you know the other is a fault but it is the christ like way isn't it?
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Arrows and Words. Use them wisely, once released they can't be brought back.
Chris Miles
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well said. I'd like to add that anger quinches the Spirit. Its not a sin to be angry, the Bible tells us to be angry and sin not. Jesus displays anger in the temple. I'll say this, I got angry today with my wife over somethig that we are both responsible for. I had to walk out of the room and lock my self in the bathroom and pray through. I felt so much better. I came and gave my wife a big hug and told her that I loved her. Good post gogiggen.
Thats a good example, good job of taking care of it in a none-abusive(physical and verbal) argument.
I cant take any credit, this is from my high school Bible teacher Al Iten. He has a website full of devotions like these at www.cobg.org . Go and look through the archives; he is the wisest man I have known. I have and am still learning a lot from him.
Very true one of my old enemies.When I get mad, TOO OFTEN, and I can control it,it is a afirmation of faith to me. True Faith is beyond any doubt.That is how evil picks at me anyway.It is a daily fight.Thats why I enjoy this forum so much.And I might add I DO learn, many things!!
Anger
