Someone once described to me his childhood experience of encountering his mother’s anger. It occurred daily, and he never knew what would set off her rage at him. He remembered making sure of escape routes to avoid what would happen if she got a hold of him. His home was a place of danger. It was safer to run out of the house, hop on his bike, and ride the city streets at random. Having no peaceful refuge, his homework suffered, but even more so, her anger adversely affected his emotional health all his life.
Anger puts us in danger.
Only one letter difference exists between anger and danger. A small space that can affect our whole life. Jesus cautioned us about this when He taught that being angry toward someone without cause puts us under judgment. Anger often leads us to put others in danger, as well as harm ourselves.
Daily, we see how anger demonstrates danger. The Bible mentions righteous indignation, and there is a time and a place for that. As followers of Jesus, we want our lives to demonstrate what God desires.
James tells us that the anger we most often feel and feed on is not what brings the results God intends (James 1:20). We must walk a fine line to stand for God and against those who oppose Him. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us on the battleground for righteousness.
Depend on the Holy Spirit to guide you when you get angry.
Anita van der Elst finds joy in creating with words, believing God gifted her with the desire to do so. Married to her best friend, Edward, since 1976, she is a proud mom of four adult children and Oma to two of the most delightful grandchildren ever. Other joys in her life include bringing beauty to Facebook through photos she takes on her iPhone, facilitating a small women’s group at church, and mentoring a few friends who also desire to write.