7-Biblical Anger Management - The Angry Man

 

                                                  # 2 – An Angry Man  ( anger as a means and a way)

“He that is soon angry deals foolishly:” “An angry man stirs up strife, and a furious man abounds in transgressions.” Proverbs 14:17, 29”22

 

Description: Hot headed, attacks, likes to fight/contentious, disagreeable, must have his own way…

 

 The Lord’s testimony against this behavior is most serious, “Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man you shall not go: lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to your soul.” Proverbs 22:24-25

 Here in the Scriptures the Lord is declaring to us that being an angry man is foolish, causes strife, which He says is, “ earthly, sensual and devilish.” James 3:15, and is sinful.

He is also saying that this is a learned and or developed behavior. You, no doubt, have caused much hurt in the lives of those around you. The key words here are ‘ his ways’.  An ‘angry man’ is all about him!

 If this is you, you need to get right with God!

 

 ACTION STEP  # 1 – Humble yourself before God Almighty, acknowledge your sin, and

                                      surrender your anger to Him, and the assumed right to get angry!

                                        STOP- CONSIDER –DO SO NOW!!!

                                2 -  Disarm yourself  by repenting of the assumed right to punish, set straight,

                                       yell, use violence, curse and use bad language and name calling, argue,

                                       take revenge, mock…

                                3 – Cleanse yourself  of all ungodly activities and interests; alcohol and drugs,

                                       ungodly music and entertainment, occult practices, pornography, idolatry…

                                4 -  Separate yourself from all company and places that promote any of these,

                                       and people or instruction that feed your bitterness and anger, or justify it.

                                        

                                          STOP – CONSIDER –DO SO NOW!!!

                    ACTION  STEP  B -  Go after the root(s) , when and why did this start?

 

                                       Possible root causes and contributing factors:

-          Learned and undisciplined behavior from your youth. Dad may have been

                         an angry man and frustrated/angered you – you must forgive him to be free yourself.

                           “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be

                            judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

                          Matthew 7:1-2, Colossians 3:21

-          Hurts and injustices from experiences of the past – again, you must forgive

Unconditionally and take your hurts to the Lord Jesus and ask him to heal you.

                            Job 42:1-12

-          Ungodly influence that taught you prejudices and other non-Christ-like behaviors.

-          Unchallenged thinking patterns that allowed conclusions that justify anger and hate.

-          Defiance to any of God’s Word and His Holy Spirit.

-          Pride and arrogance and exaggerated values and opinions where you would end up

attacking the values and opinions of others (even if they are Biblically wrong).

                     -     Intolerance, whereas we depend so deeply on the grace of God in our lives for our 

faults, failures, bad judgement… yet we may not be so gracious and understanding

with that of others.

            STOP – CONSIDER EACH – TAKE YOUR TIME DECIDE AND CONFRONT

 

ACTION STEP  C -  Break off all agreements:

-          Little doubt you have given place to the devil by agreement, co-operation, and behavior.

1 – Agreement because of the ungodly thinking and reasoning that justified you to be          angry. Acts 5:3-4

2  - Co-operation because you sided with the devil’s addenda. Matthew 16:23

3  - Behavior, because when you lose control you give place to him. Ephesians 4:26-27

      Proverbs 25:28

Other factors that indicate demonic influence that feed and fuel your anger:

-          Constantly feeling that people are out to oppose you or attack you. “love thinks no evil”

-          Repetitive thoughts that plague your thinking of past experiences, hurts, offenses, and hates, which feed anger, bitterness, resentments, hate. 1 Samuel 16:14-23

-          Regular and or constant internal dialogue, justifying yourself or arguing with someone in your mind. The devil loves to feed your self-pity and self-righteousness and have you dwell on your issues until they are obsessive, and you are totally responsible!

-          Images, dreams, thoughts, feelings of attacking someone physically or verbally

 

ACTION STEP – STOP  AGREEING AND REPENT OF ALL THESE EVIL  ATTITUDES!!!

“GIVE NO PLACE TO THE DEVIL” – FORGIVE, RELEASE, FORGET Philippians 3:13-15

 

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW JESUS WITH ALL FAITH AND LOVE DAILY!!!

 

                                 IN AN ANGER PROVOKING SITUATION

 

Determine now before it occurs lest your reaction defaults to your

                                                         habit instead of  your duty.

Humble Yourself;

             1 – Hold your tongue, “For in many ways we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” James 3:2. “ A fool utters all his mind: but a wise man keeps it in till afterwards.” Proverbs 29:11

             2 - If the situation requires a response, regardless how you may be feeling, use a gracious word.

Say as little as possible. “A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.”

Proverbs 15:1, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.” Colossians 4:6

             3 – Cry out to the Lord in your heart for help especially if the temptation is seemingly unbearable. “This poor man cried, and the Lord saved him, and delivered him out of all his troubles.”

Psalm 34:6, 1 Corinthians 10:13

             4  -  Leave the situation if possible. Pride will want us to stay and fight and be right. Leave!

             5  -  If you cannot leave, exercise the turning the other cheek principle. “But I say unto you, that you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Matthew 5:39,  Let God fight your battles, He loves you, and them!

             6  -  Ask the Lord to give you His view and understanding. “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 55:8, “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit exalts folly.” Proverbs 14:29.

            7  -  Take time to calmly and rationally think it through from the Biblical perspective. The end product should have the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

James 3:17-18. This is the Christ-like behavior that God is looking for in us. And it always produces!

 

In a situation where your mind is being bombarded with anger provoking thoughts.

      ACTION STEPS – 1 –Run to the Lord Jesus immediately! Ask Him to help you and forgive you

  where necessary.

           2 -  Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 , “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19.

Our duty when we submit to God is to not agree with angry, bitter resentful, and hateful thoughts, no matter how true and right they may seem to be, “Love thinks no evil.” 1 Corinthians 13, “A wicked doer gives heed to false lips; and a liar gives ear to a naughty (malicious NIV, destructive NAS) tongue.” Proverbs 17:4   Do you see what God is saying about us when we give in to these type of thoughts?!

We must repent immediately of any temptation to agree with them.

          3 – If we find ourselves constantly justifying and defending ourselves in our minds and with our reasoning, that is another indication that we are in deception - even if we are using the Bible! That is the work of pride and arrogance. “Let God be True, but every man a liar, … There is none righteous, no not one…For all have sinned and cone short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:4,10,23.

Very likely our pride is at work shoring up some work of the flesh. Also the devil, whom the Bible calls, “the accuser of the brethren”, Revelation 12:10, may be hard at work tormenting you or prodding you into contentious situations with others. Whatever the reason you must deliver yourself and make your heart right with God.

            4 – Turn from every influence that feeds, agrees with, and justified the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that promote or provoke your anger. “and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, rather reprove them. “Ephesians 5:11

            5  - Develop godly thinking. “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8.

            6  - Grow in the love of God. “…that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment: that you may approve things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense (pure and blameless NIV) till the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:9-10

           7  -  Challenge your reasoning and motives.  Why do you think the way you do? Who told you…? Why do you actually think, believe….? 

           8  - Exercise yourself in God’s command to forgive unconditionally. Luke 6:37

           9  - Go to Jesus for healing from past wounds and offenses. Perhaps there are people that you need to ask forgiveness for too. Luke 4:18

IN CONCLUSION: There must be a complete reformation of your thinking, perspective, approach, and behavior before God Almighty by breaking all agreements with all that is non-Christ-like.

To justify or agree with any will only keep you in the same state producing the same results.

 

STOP-CONSIDER CAREFULLY-START TO DO SO NOW!

 

NOTE –  Again, do not leave offenses and wounds unattended, nor let bitter and angry thoughts and feelings go unchallenged. Deal with them Biblically and thoroughly lest they fester and grow and explode. Deal with each and every issue!!!

 

If THE ANGRY THOUGHTS DO NOT SUBSIDE/QUIT: Seeds only grow with water and soil.

-       Do you agree with what make sparks your anger?

-          Did you forgive unconditionally from the heart, cancel debts?

-          Did you cancel all expectations?

-          Have you exercised Biblical acceptance? For instance, if someone you love is caught   in a sin, you want them to change, and they need to change, recognize that the Holy Spirit will do the changing. We must still love the person, and may even have to execute some disciplinary measures, but all in love with the hopes for restoration. We leave God to do His part, and we pray fervently. Romans 14:1,Galatians 6:1, 2 Timothy 2:24-26.

-          Has hate for something blinded you to the real need and issue?

-          Is pride and self- righteousness dominating your motives and feelings?

                   -  Unresolved offenses and hurts, have they been tended to and healed?

Are any of these or a combination, or something else hindering your success? You chose what you will do – “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways…For let not that man think he will receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:6-5