HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR ANGER

Pastor Dennis Clanton

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Woodland Church

1. ACKNOWLEDGE THE DESTRUCTIVE USES OF ANGER.

(Ephesians 4:26–27, NLT) “And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

(Proverbs 29:22, NLT) “An angry person starts fights; a hot-tempered person commits all kinds of sin.”

ELEVEN WAYS TO BE ANGRY

1. Take pride in being a perfectionist and expect perfection in everyone else.

2. Don’t listen to anyone else’s view but keep pushing your own.

3. If you want to be miserable, overload your schedule.

4. Expect other people to cater to your needs.

5. Never laugh and have a good time, never be easygoing, because life is very serious business.

6. Have no compassion for others.

7. Make fun of and put down people who are different from you.

8. Practice shouting.

9. Worship money and possessions.

10.  Never pay any attention to your own faults and weaknesses.

11.  Learn to nag, learn to nitpick, practice criticism and the snide remark. –Les Carter, Good ‘n Angry

2. ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONSTRUCTIVE USES OF ANGER.

(Exodus 34:6, NLT) “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”

a. The best time to deal with anger is before I am angry.

• Make an inventory of things that make you angry.

• Make a vow to yourself that you won’t blow up.     

• Consider the other person’s situation.

• Avoid anger by being self critical.

• Start counting.

“When angry, count to ten before speaking, if very angry count to 100.” –Thomas Jefferson

• Pray for strength.

i. Be aware.

(Proverbs 14:29, The Message) “Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding; a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.”

ii. Take it to Jesus.

(2 Corinthians 10:5b, NIV) “We take captive every thought to make it  obedient to Christ.”

iii. Accept responsibility.

(Proverbs 16:32, ESV) “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

iv. Define your anger.

(James 1:19–21, NLT) “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”

• All anger is rooted in pain.

• Do not let the pain caused by others make you crabby at home.

3. ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO TRANSFORM YOUR ANGER INTO GOOD.

(Romans 8:29, Message) “God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.”