Lingering Bombs
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
In 1994, Chris Burns of the Associated Press wrote an article about the lethal leftovers of war. He talked about the hundreds of explosives from World War II that were still scattered across Europe at construction sites, in fishing nets, and on beaches.
He said even though the war is over, these unexploded bombs are being triggered all the time, killing and wounding people unexpectedly. One French official said that the unexploded bombs become more dangerous over time, due to corrosion. The weapons therefore become more unstable and are easy to set off.
What is true of lingering bombs is also true of lingering anger. Buried anger will explode when we least expect it. When we get angry, when we blow our top, when we go off the deep end, oftentimes it has less to do with what we’re currently facing and more to do with something we’ve failed to deal with in our past.
For instance, are you really upset that your wife came home late last night, or are you still hurting from a parent who left you as a child and never came back? Are you really upset that your husband is buying a new car in a down economy, or is the child in you still upset that your family couldn’t afford to buy you the toys you wanted when you were growing up?
These things may not seem like a big deal, but if they are left unattended, they will start to cause corrosion in our hearts, like bombs, and will cause us to explode out of nowhere, hurting those closest to us. Therefore, we must be diligent to address our hurts and pain points when they arise, rather than letting them fester. If we do that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will experience more spiritual health and will be setup to thrive in our walk with Christ and in our relationships with others.
In 1994, Chris Burns of the Associated Press wrote an article about the lethal leftovers of war. He talked about the hundreds of explosives from World War II that were still scattered across Europe at construction sites, in fishing nets, and on beaches.
He said even though the war is over, these unexploded bombs are being triggered all the time, killing and wounding people unexpectedly. One French official said that the unexploded bombs become more dangerous over time, due to corrosion. The weapons therefore become more unstable and are easy to set off.
What is true of lingering bombs is also true of lingering anger. Buried anger will explode when we least expect it. When we get angry, when we blow our top, when we go off the deep end, oftentimes it has less to do with what we’re currently facing and more to do with something we’ve failed to deal with in our past.
For instance, are you really upset that your wife came home late last night, or are you still hurting from a parent who left you as a child and never came back? Are you really upset that your husband is buying a new car in a down economy, or is the child in you still upset that your family couldn’t afford to buy you the toys you wanted when you were growing up?
These things may not seem like a big deal, but if they are left unattended, they will start to cause corrosion in our hearts, like bombs, and will cause us to explode out of nowhere, hurting those closest to us. Therefore, we must be diligent to address our hurts and pain points when they arise, rather than letting them fester. If we do that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will experience more spiritual health and will be setup to thrive in our walk with Christ and in our relationships with others.
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