https://www.bible.com/events/49381389
Church of the Nazarene – East Rockingham Campus
Healthy Me: Mind Made Up Part 4
Mad is Hell…
Healthy Me is a compassionate invitation to seek healing and wholeness in the area of mental health. Believing that God sees us and he cares about how we are feeling.
Our goal is to provide a biblical approach to our mental health and to gain tools to begin a path towards a healthy me.
This is not about quick fixes, easy answers, or cliché responses. It’s not a substitute for professional counseling. These are tools for the journey of wholeness and healing through Christ.
Today we conclude our series talking about anger.
Anger- a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism. Or a threatening or violent appearance or state.
In our everyday language we might say someone has a short fuse, or a bad temper, they get a little hot headed.
You may be surprised to hear this morning that Anger is actually a God-Given emotion. It is part of our “fight or flight” response system that helps us avoid danger and compels us to action at injustice.
But the truth about this God given emotion is that we often mis-use it. In fact, this emotion comes with specific instructions AND a warning label.
James 1:19-20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
How’s your relationship with anger?
Have you read the operators manual for anger? Are you following it’s instructions?
The reality is that failure to follow the biblical approach to anger, could result in serious injury to people around us, and to ourselves. Even death.
Anger might seem like a strange topic for a series on mental health, but the truth is, if we are pursing wholeness and healing in Christ, we must address our anger.
Ephesians 4:25-28
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
It’s really fascinating that right in the midst of lying and stealing having no place in the life of a Christian, Paul addresses anger.
It’s fascinating because I think if we were honest, im not sure many of us would put our anger up there on a list in significance with lying and stealing.
Often times I think look at anger and we want to excuse it, deny it, or attempt to justify it in our lives. But Paul says look- how you handle anger is critical in your life with Christ.
He says “In your anger, do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,”
We need to read carefully here. I think it’s easy to read this and think it’s giving us permission to be angry, but in reality, it’s offering a concession.
Commentator Andrew Lincoln paraphrases this verse by saying:
“Anger is to be avoided at all costs, but if, for whatever reason, you do get angry, then refuse to indulge such anger so that you do not sin.”
When we give into anger, if we allow it to take the controls, we give the devil a vantage point to wage hell on our life, our family, and our relationships.
When anger comes up, use extreme caution.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
If you have been following along in the series, you know we have tried to close each message with a some practical tools for seeking wholeness and health.
We have used acrostics as a way to remember those tools.
For the path to wholeness and healing in the area of anger, i would propose that we remember the letters A.C.T.
A-Awareness. The path to a healthy me in the area of anger begins with awareness. An honest look at the place anger has in our life.
C- Check into it. As we become aware of our anger we need to check into it. “pop the hood” on our emotions and see what’s going on underneath the feelings of anger.
T-Today. We must take action to deal with our anger today. Don’t continue to give the devil free room and board in your life by holding onto anger.
At the end of the day we have a choice with anger.
We might not choose when or how anger enters our lives, but we have a choice and a responsibility when it does.
We can surrender to it, allowing it to control our lives. Or we can surrender our anger to the Lord, and allow him to bring the healing and transformation we need.
What will it be for you?