Next Steps
Answer the following questions, journal about them, pray about them, or discuss them with a counselor or trusted friend.
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How do you typically express your anger? Are you more likely to explode or implode? Why do you think that is?
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Think about the last time you got really angry. What was that situation really about? What was the underlying issue or emotion (the unmet need) that you were protecting with your anger? What is a better, healthier way that you could have handled that situation?
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Think about the people you’ve hurt in your anger. Confess your sins to them (remember, we confess to God that we might be forgiven, and we confess to others that we might be healed). Ask them to forgive you for the hurt you caused them in your anger, and ask them to be gracious and patient with you as you learn to process your emotions in a more healthy and Godly way.
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Take a look at the
exercise in the
Freedom from Anger Problems section to help you identify your emotions. Go through this exercise with at least five emotions (choose them as randomly as you can—I keep a box of numbers in my office for people to draw from when I take them through this exercise to help them pick randomly). If this is difficult for you, commit to going through this exercise regularly to help you learn to better identify your emotions.
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Commit now to surrender your emotions to God and to hold the needs and desires of others as high as you hold your own. Commit to being assertive with your righteous anger and to letting go of those things that really aren’t worth holding on to. And commit to being honest about your emotions with God, with yourself, and with others. It will take time and practice to develop this as a lifestyle, but you can never experience true freedom until your emotions are free, too.
Now pray this prayer with us:
Father, help me in my anger. Help me not to sin or let the sun go down on my wrath. I don’t want to be stuck in my anger anymore, and I thank You that You’ve given me a way out. I thank You for all of my emotions. They truly are a gift. And I surrender them all to You for Your will and Your plans and Your glory. Help me to love others like You do, not considering their needs or desires less than my own, and help me to find peace and freedom in being more open about my emotions with You, with myself, and with others. I love You, God, and I thank You for the healing You’re bringing in me. Amen.
This section is taken from a chapter of Matthew Bauer's book, The Journey to Freedom. To learn more about how to deal with anger in your life, click here to order the book, including Matthew's full teaching on "Anger."
BUY NOW: The Journey to Freedom - Navigating the Roadblocks to Abundant Living - by Matthew Bauer