Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Angry (08/02/07)
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TITLE: One Nerve Left | Previous Challenge Entry
By Petra van der Zande
08/08/07 -
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Slow to anger.
Easier said than done, for anger is a common, often unavoidable, and almost automatic response to emotional or physical injury, mistreatment or opposition, resulting in a desire to hit out at something or someone.
While the English language knows a variety of words related to anger, (indignation, rage, fury, ire and wrath) Biblical Hebrew and Greek express the diversity even more.
Jonah didn’t like God’s plan with Nineveh, and burned of anger.
Moses asked God not to wipe out the unbelieving Israelites in the desert (in His fierce wrath).
Jealousies and outbursts of wrath show a more agitated condition of anger. It quickly blazes up and quickly subsides. Paul warns the Galatians against it.
The Psalmist says to be angry, (quiver with strong emotion) but not sin.
The Corinthians were moved with indignation, very much grieved, in physical pain, irritated and annoyed.
The religious establishment was very angry (“Cholao”) that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. This Greek word relates to gall, bile, and is metaphorically used to signify bitter anger, to be enraged.
“Wrath” means heat, rage, anger, poison and venom, describing a strong emotional state, resulting in rage. This is the dangerous version of anger, for it inflames everybody who comes close. That’s why Rebekah advised Jacob to stay away from Esau.
Solomon adviced how best to response to rage, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
“But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath…” (Colossians 3:8).
We know it, try to live it, and often fail miserably.
But take heart: “A sin recognized is half corrected”.
"Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath…” (Ephesians 4:26)
Hey, this is great! We are allowed to be angry, but not to sin.
How? Dealing with our anger before we go to bed, helps our emotions to stay on the “safe” side.
And we sleep better too.
In general, Western societies still have (unwritten) behavioral codes in which angry shouting matches are perceived as not “nice”.
But when you travel to e.g. South America or to Mediterranean countries, you’re in for a shock.
What we, with western eyes, perceive as a fight, for them is just an “argument”, or a “discussion”.
After a shouting match the air is cleared, and there are no “hard feelings”.
For us “nice” Dutch people who moved to Israel, it sure was a “skill” we had to learn. It took time to learn not to take it personally when people vented their anger and frustration at us. Now we even shout back at times!
“The surest way to gain respect is to earn it by good conduct.”
Sometimes God gave me the grace to keep quiet and stay polite, while everything in me wanted to give the person a piece of my mind.
That day, it was my third visit to the health-fund, and again, the needed form wasn’t there because they had made a mistake. Again.
With great effort I kept quiet, and in the end got my form.
Some time later I needed something else from the health-fund.
Because I had been kind, the girl in question went out of her way to help me. I reaped the benefits because the “oil of kindness took the friction out of life.”
So what can we do about anger?
Ask yourself why you are angry - what triggered it?
Lack of sleep? Too stressed?
Take “time-out”; take a few deep breaths; count to ten; pray – it will focus your attention on God, and not on the person who caused your anger.
And above all: try to see the humor of the situation.
Life is serious enough as it is – we all need a good laugh.
And you know what?
It’s contagious and often diffuses a tense situation.
I’ve learned a lot by studying the subject, and noticed many areas in my life that I need to work on.
I try to practice what I preach.
For most days, I’m fine.
But you better not catch me on the morning that I wake up with one nerve left, and you’re the one that’s getting on it…
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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