BOILING POINT!
by Gordon McDade
The red mist gathers around me in the most mundane of circumstances - the person ahead of me in the supermarket, 10 items or less queue with 14 items in their basket, the family behind me in the restaurant ordering line who dispatch their smallest, cutest member to claim the last available table ahead of me and even the thoughtless driver in front who indicates a right turn too late for me to manoeuvre around him. And that's just the trivial side - road rage, domestic violence, rising race and sectarian tensions in our community, all indicate that anger is a growing problem in western society. And pastor rage is particularly unattractive!
Anger is part of what it means to be human, and Christians aren't exempt! Even though we've put off the old nature and have a new one growing within us, we're not perfect. Part of the purposes of God in our lives is to have us learn the language of forgiveness and become fluent in the vocabulary of reconciliation. We are made for relationship, but every community carries with it the potential for conflict and anger-production - it comes with a health warning!
Anger needs to be understood, acknowledged and dealt with. Paul, in Ephesians cites perhaps the last known words about anger anywhere in Scripture; "Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil" 4:26-27. "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice" 4:31.
In verse 32, Paul reminds us, in typical Ephesian style, that the secret of transformation is about getting a whole new set of clothes. Treat others as God has treated you, shed the old, threadbare rags of selfish angry emotion; they are ill fitting, uncomfortable fashions for a child of God. Put on the kingdom garments of kindness, tenderness and forgiveness.
The challenge, of course, is in managing that angry attitude. Part of that response
is to have a godly perception of ourselves. A clear focus on who we are in Christ, a constant reminding ourselves of our value and worth, will help us handle our angry outbursts at others. We need to see others similarly. Understanding our own reactions and learning how to handle anger and anger-provoking situations is key to coping with these draining situations. Sometimes 'don't go there' or 'choose your battles' is the best advice.
Self-control is a segment of the fruit of the Spirit and grows in a garden of a thoughtful Christ-centred mind. Somewhere between feeling and reacting, is a God given opportunity to exert self-control. Learning how to handle angry conflict constructively is a challenge for any relationship. Forgiveness is a definite choice rather than an emotional reaction and it presents us with a clear path through the red mist. Leave the ultimate punishment to God, don't plunge yourself into sin, take responsibility for your own actions.
I have a friend who talks about 'grace growing opportunities' and into that category anger surely falls. So go on - grow in grace!!
You can respond direct to Gordon by email; gordon@ballynahinchbaptist.org |
