Spitting Out Poison
James 1:19-20 (NLT) 19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires."
Anger is poison to our mind and body. Not knowing how to let go of anger can disconnect us from love and harden our hearts. It has also been medically proven to raise blood pressure and lead to chronic pain. Most importantly, it puts us out of sync with God’s will.
Here are some ways you can spit out the poison of anger:
Remember, there is righteous anger but righteous anger does not eat away at us. It doesn’t turn us into weapons of mass destruction awaiting the downfall of another person. Righteous anger encourages us to take our outrage to God and to work through it with Him.
Questions:
Think back through the times you have been the most angry. Was your anger destructive or productive? Have you found forgiveness, or are you still holding onto the hurt?
Ask God to help you sincerely forgive those who have hurt you and fully let go of the pain so you can be freed from the bondage of anger.
Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for harboring anger in my heart towards you and towards others. Please give me the supernatural gift to forgive those who have hurt me. Please also help me to guard my heart and work through my most fragile emotions without causing more harm. Replace the anger in my heart with peace and joy. Thank you for your mercy, and help me to be more merciful for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
Anger is poison to our mind and body. Not knowing how to let go of anger can disconnect us from love and harden our hearts. It has also been medically proven to raise blood pressure and lead to chronic pain. Most importantly, it puts us out of sync with God’s will.
Here are some ways you can spit out the poison of anger:
- Know your limits and triggers. Explore what makes you angry? Why? Come up with a game plan for how to handle those thoughts or circumstances that incite your anger. Ask God to help transform your anger into love through the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Hold your tongue. Learn how to rise above a heated moment and not allow your words to cause more destruction.
- Humble yourself and apologize when you’ve allowed anger to overtake you – especially if you’ve hurt someone.
- Take your anger to God and ask Him to soften your heart.
- Journal when you are feeling overwhelmed. Getting our thoughts and feelings down on paper helps us to decipher where the anger is truly coming from and helps us to calm down.
- Take care of your body, mind, and environment daily. A dysregulated nervous system can sneak up on you and cause harm without you being aware of it.
- Pray without ceasing. If you are really struggling with anger, continue to seek God and ask Him to help you to find a solution.
Remember, there is righteous anger but righteous anger does not eat away at us. It doesn’t turn us into weapons of mass destruction awaiting the downfall of another person. Righteous anger encourages us to take our outrage to God and to work through it with Him.
Questions:
Think back through the times you have been the most angry. Was your anger destructive or productive? Have you found forgiveness, or are you still holding onto the hurt?
Ask God to help you sincerely forgive those who have hurt you and fully let go of the pain so you can be freed from the bondage of anger.
Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for harboring anger in my heart towards you and towards others. Please give me the supernatural gift to forgive those who have hurt me. Please also help me to guard my heart and work through my most fragile emotions without causing more harm. Replace the anger in my heart with peace and joy. Thank you for your mercy, and help me to be more merciful for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.