Be Slow To Anger

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” - Psalm 37:8
 
 
Anger is an often-overlooked problem within American society. We’re constantly surrounded by road rage, domestic violence, angry TV and radio commentators, and even angry politicians. Over one third of violence on American highways is a result of people cutting others off, cursing at others, getting into fights, and even pulling out guns, just trying to get from point A to point B.
 
Whether we realize it or not, the root of these types of rage has little to do with what is happening on the road (or elsewhere), but everything to do with what is happening in a person’s heart. Suppressed issues and unresolved problems often manifest themselves in people taking out their frustrations on the closest person to them. And when people don’t address the seeds that produce their wrath, anything is likely to happen.  
 
One psychologist said that he’s seen patients lose jobs, marriages, and opportunities because they were simply unable to handle the normal frustrations and disappointments that come with life. They argue, they insult, and they sulk. Others don’t like them, and they don’t like themselves. Their anger gets in the way of their ability to be good bosses, good workers, and good family men and women; they don’t know what to do with the steam that is produced in their hearts as a result of the stressors and the tensions that come with life and living.  
 
Thankfully, we can look to God’s Word to show us how we should address our anger in a way that honors the Lord. Psalm 37:8 says, “don’t give in to anger, it only leads to trouble.” Additionally, James 1:19-20 says, “be slow to anger, because anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” In other words, if we want to become more like Christ, and if we want to be a strong witness for Him, we need to learn to handle our anger the way these verses tell us to.
 
Do you find yourself struggling to refrain from anger when things do not go your way? Do you get frustrated when others do not act as you want them to act? Or perhaps you get frustrated when things do not operate on your timetable? No matter the case, life will not always go your way. This is not an excuse to become frustrated and lash out. The next time you find yourself in a place where you are ready to lose it, I would encourage you to take time reading and meditating on what God’s Word has to say about anger and remember, the Bible tells us to be slow to anger, because as we know, it only leads to trouble.