I Cor. 13:1-8a (NKJV)
#1. God warns us about having an angry spirit
Eph. 4:31
Col. 3:8
#2. The danger with anger
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- Anger should not be reactionary | James 1:19 (NASB95)
- Man’s anger is destructive and does not accomplish God’s purposes | James 1:20 (NASB95)
- Anger will take you to places that you never planned to go | Matt. 5:21-22 (NASB95)
- We should not hold onto anger for very long | Eph. 4:26-27 (NASB95)
Valid times to be upset:
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- When the vulnerable need protection
- When God is being dishonored
- When so-called believers are hurting God’s work by being fake
Being quick to get angry shows:
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- Too much judgment and too little benefit of doubt
- More negativity and less optimism
- An environment of fear
- Controlling behavior
- An over-inflated view of self
- A sign of immaturity
- You are giving no room for other viewpoints
- You are acting like a fool | Eccl. 7:9 (NASB95)
- An unhealthy pattern that will bring about great harm
- There is probably some hurt that you need to forgive
#3. Learning to control our anger
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- Be controlled by the Spirit of God | Gal. 5:19-21 (NASB95)
- Deal with whatever is hurting you
- Truly desire to understand others and their situations
- Listen more than you talk
- Let God change your priorities
- Let go of whatever you are trying to control
If you do get angry often and quickly, ask yourself:
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- Who tends to upset me the most?
- Who tends to upset me the most?
- Why does that person or situation bother me so much?
- Is my anger for a Godly reason or a selfish reason?
- If it is for a Godly reason, what action do I need to take?
- If my anger is for the wrong reasons, what needs to change?