Anger Always Comes Before Unforgiveness

Anger always comes before unforgiveness, doesn’t it?  First you are angry at your friend, your mother, father, your child, your boss, your spouse and then unforgiveness creeps in and you carry that until it weighs you down. And, at that point all you want to do is get even. I think a lot of diseases and depression is probably caused by the anger and unforgiveness we carry in our hearts.

ANGER is in danger, but there is danger in ANGER. Once anger enters your mind, you are in danger of doing something you otherwise wouldn’t do or saying something you otherwise wouldn’t say. Words and actions are like an arrow; you can’t take them back.

I read somewhere that Christian counselors report that 50% of people who come in for counseling have problems dealing with anger.

So, how do you overcome anger before that sin of unforgiveness festers up in your soul?  Does God ever become angry?  “God is a judge who is perfectly fair, and he is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11 TLB.  One day when Jesus enemies confronted him about healing on the Sabbath. Jesus was angry. “Looking around at them angrily, for he was deeply disturbed by their indifference to human need, he said to the man, “Reach out your hand.” He did, and instantly his hand was healed!” Mark3:5 TLB

I believe God knows that all of us will become angry at one time so He tells us what to do with that anger in Ephesians 4:26 TLB He says , “If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly” So what do we do when anger flairs up in our hearts?   Do we brood about what has caused the anger? Do we tell others what we are angry about? Do we confront the person who has angered us?

I am reminded of the anger all of us felt when we heard about the murder of the little girl in Springfield. I was angry; I wanted God to strike that killer dead in his tracks. And, I believe that killing, as with all sin,  angers God.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Adam and Eve had never sinned?  Wouldn’t it be great if they had not introduced sin into the world and we could all have lived in sinless perfection? Anger and unforgiveness are tools of the Devil. And, those who sin are, for a moment at least, being controlled by the Devil.

We all need to allow God to handle our anger problems. When we feel anger toward another, the first thing we need to do is look to God and say “God, you know me and my anger problem. Right now, before I do or say something I shouldn’t, I’m giving this to you. You take care of it for me.” And, then allow God to do just that.

Remember, we can’t control the actions of others but we can control our own actions.