How To Overcome Anger

For example...

1. WE SEE ANGER IN OUR HOMES.

We see much anger about significant and insignificant things. Some people have so much anger inside them there is nothing anyone could do to please them.

Illus: This reminds me of the husband who was always angry and hard to please. One morning his sweet wife was determined to do everything she could to please him. She asked what he would like for breakfast. He said, in a rough voice, “I want two eggs; one scrambled and the other sunny side up.” The loving wife cooked the eggs with as much loving and care as she could. She brought them to him with a loving smile. He took one look at the eggs and growled like an angry bear. She said, “Honey, darling, what is wrong?” He growled, “You scrambled the wrong egg.”

Seriously, we see anger in homes all over America.

• Husbands are angry with their wives and wives are angry at their husbands.

• Parents are angry with the children and the children are angry with their parents.

Not only do we see anger in homes in America, also...

2. WE SEE ANGER IN THE PUBLIC.

People do not even try to hide their anger in public anymore.

Illus: There is the story of the couple at the airport who arrived at the boarding gate just in time to see their plane take off. He was extremely angry as he yelled out at his wife and said, “If you weren’t so slow getting ready, we wouldn’t have missed our plane!” She angrily yelled back at him, “And if you hadn’t rushed me so, we would not have so long to wait for the next flight!”

Yes, we see anger in homes and in public. Also.

3. WE SEE ANGER IN THE BUSINESS WORLD.

Many times this is because of misunderstandings.

Illus: One lady sent a post card to a corn syrup company. She wrote, “I just want you people to know I have used three bottles of your corn syrup and the corn on my little toe is still growing.”

Wherever we turn these days we see an abundance of anger. Some ask, “Preacher, doesn’t the Bible say, ‘Be ye angry and sin not?” Yes it does. However we need to clarify the kind of anger the Bible is speaking about. There are things Christians are to be angry about, God would have us be angry at SIN, NOT the SINNER. For example. any Christian who knows anything about this Bible knows that abortion is a sin. But listen, it is WRONG to get so angry that we take the law in our hands and shoot abortionists.

4. WE SEE ANGER IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Illus: On February 29, 2000 the news shot across this nation of two children who were playing on the playgrounds and the next day a six year old boy brought a gun and shot the girl in the neck and killed her.

We need to ask God to help us OVERCOME ANGER! How can we do that? First let us look at...

I. THE DEFINITION.

Webster’s dictionary says anger is, “That feeling of displeasure and hostility resulting from injury, mistreatment, or opposition.”

This is a problem we deal with from the CRADLE TO THE GRAVE.

Illus: We all have seen tiny babies become so angry they would try to burst your ear drums with their loud cries. Why? Because they felt they had been mistreated and they could not get up and punch anyone in the nose, so they make life miserable for us with their loud cries.

But, God intended that we learn to overcome anger as we grow older, and not become hostile when injured, mistreated, or opposed.

Not only is such anger sinful, it is also unhealthy. WHEN WE BECOME ANGRY OUR BODY PREPARES ITSELF FOR ACTION. For example, if someone walks up and slaps you, one of two things will happen.

A. You are going to control your emotional response.

Illus: This reminds us of the story of the boxer who was converted. Before he was converted he beat up everyone who got in his way. Then word got out that he had gotten religion. An opponent he had beaten up a number of times saw him and began to roll up his sleeves as he said, “Joe, I understand you got religion.” The converted boxer said, “Let’s put it this way; if you about to do what I think you are, you had better hope I have religion!”

Most of us, when we are mistreated, immediately respond with feelings of wanting to retaliate.

The healthiest thing we can do, when we have been mistreated, is control our emotions and not let them get out of hand.

The other thing that might happen if you are slapped is...