Why are you so pissed off?

whatever is begun in anger ends in shame… benjamin franklin

'Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper— it only leads to harm. ' Psalms 37:8

this was a big issue for me for years, even after i became a Christian. in some degree, i still deal with it from time to time; most definitely when i’m driving as i shared before. other times it is from dealing with stupid, ignorant, arrogant, rude, and evil people.

while for the most part it is momentary, from time to time i have held on to it for longer than needed, leading me to be disgruntled and frustrated. really when you think about it, it’s pretty stupid because the only person you hurt from being so upset is yourself.

“For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

what we learn from scripture is that we should do, and be, the exact opposite. using the example of who The Lord is - compassionate, merciful, forgiving, and especially loving. even if you feel the other person doesn’t deserve it and also regardless of what they said or did to you/me.

The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. Exodus 34:6

‘The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. Numbers 14:18

dear Heavenly Father, please help me to be calm instead of blowing up. to turn to you when i can feel the anger building and about to burn inside of me. let Your Holy Spirit convict me should i hold onto the offense and not forgive. may my life reflect how you lived your life, Lord Jesus, and what Your Word teaches us regarding being angry. in your Holy and Majestic Name i pray, amen!