Where Can I Turn: When I Am Angry Series

Who among us has never been angry…

How about a show of hands if this applies to you!

I know I have… cause I’ve seen me do it!

99 men out of 100 have been seriously angry… The other one won't admit it!

Have you noticed that other emotions seem to get in the act when you are angry? Come on… am I the only one that happens to?

Have you ever felt out-of-control while angry?

Do you feel any hatred then or afterwards?

Any remorse or embarrassment?

Ever wonder why? Do you do any reflection?

Someone once said, “If you speak when you are angry, you might deliver the best speech you will ever regret!”

Like… Randall why in the wide-wide world did you get so angry?

Randall... this is not the first time you were upset with that or that person... why is that?

Could you possibly have avoided that?

What would it have taken to do so?

If it were that simple... why didn't you?

Did I hurt anyone? How will I fix this?

Anger can definitely hurt someone!

I am reminded of the man who was entering the Pearly Gates of Heaven. He was asked by one of the angels at the gate if he could come up with one example where he was kind; and if he could, he would be admitted.

He said, “Why yes, I can! You see there was this little old lady just across the street as I was pulling into my parking space. She was being beaten mercilessly by this big burley guy who put me in mind of a motorcycle kind of guy, although I could not see any motorcycle.

He was tugging at her and she was hitting him with her purse and anything else she could find to hit him with.

Well, I couldn’t let that happen, being the great guy that I am… I mean was! So, the first thing I did was to look for his motorcycle. I found it and pushed it over on its side. It made a large crunching sound.

I then kicked him in the shins and said, “Run lady, run!” and she did.

“I think I saved her life!”

“Well”, said the angel, “how long ago did that happen?”

“It seems like just a minute or so ago.”

So, what does the Bible say?

James 1:19-20

In fewer words...Open your ears and close your mouths

More learning and less anger...less fighting

Maybe the world… Maybe this Nation… should just chill

Always remember 'ANGER is NOT of the righteousness of GOD!'

Ephesians 4:31-32

Paul includes a few of those emotions we just talked about... and how they get mixed up with that anger...

But instead...be kind and forgiving… Just as GOD has always done for us!

SERMON

Ever said something you wish you could take back? I could write a book on just the things I wish I would NOT have said!

A prime example of that is when my family was in the car and I would yell at the kids to be quiet. I would get so angry that my hands would leave the steering wheel and often I would find myself turned around in my seat, totally forgetting where or what I was doing.

I learned this though: Shouting in hopes that your kids might obey is like using the horn of your car to steer. You get the same results!

Let's turn to the wisest man who ever lived (not counting our LORD of course)

King Solomon said this:

Proverbs 12:16a

OFTEN TIMES OUR IGNORANCE IS NOT SHOWN UNTIL OUR LIPS ARE PARTED! ANONYMOUS

How does it make you feel when you experience someone taking a tantrum?

Have you ever felt foolish after you had an anger spell?

That's what my Mother would call it!

She would say that 'Anger will lead you to somewhere you might NOT want to go!

Too often we seek revenge We want to avenge our honor or pride.

There was a little old lady that lived beside another little old lady. They had known each other since they were small. They had been angry with each other for most of their adult lives and maybe even longer.

One of them had chickens and she would indiscriminately shovel their feces over the fence that separated them.

Well, the one with the shovel took ill and was in the hospital. Her neighbor decided it was only right for her to visit her neighbor and let “by-gones-be-by-gones” for they were not getting any younger.

“What are you doing here?” she asked from her bed.

“And where did you get those flowers? I know you can’t afford fancy flowers!”

I picked them directly beneath the fence that separates our properties. Years of shoveling manure has made them grow and aren’t they just perfect?”