The Problem Of Uncontrolled Anger

THE PROBLEM OF UNCONTROLLED ANGER

"3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” 8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." Genesis 4:3-8.

Cain and Abel had been taught the right way of worshipping God. They knew that He required a sacrificial offering. But, when the time came for them to present their offerings, only one brother was obedient. Hence God accepted Abel and his offering, but He rejected Cain and his offering. As a result of this, Cain became very angry. He was angry at God and jealous of his brother. The jealousy of Abel drove Cain into a raging hatred. One day, as they were in the field together, Cain rose up and murdered his brother. Thus the first human born into the world became a murderer because he did not control his anger. Uncontrolled anger is dangerous.

“Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control” Proverbs 25:28. In ancient times, cities were often guarded from enemies by high thick walls. Walls provided security and shield. So broken walls are of no use! It made the city defenceless and open for attack! In the same way, a man or woman who cannot control his anger lacks self-control, is vulnerable, defenceless and open to enemy's attacks.

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared” Proverbs 22:24-25. Anger leads to more anger. So you should not spend time with a person who is easily angered. Whenever you associate with angry people you're wounding your soul.

WHAT IS ANGER?

Anger is an emotion! It is in everybody; everyone gets angry from time to time. Anger is often identified by feelings of displeasure, resentment, rage and reprisal. It is a reaction against someone we feel has wronged, offended and hurt us or someone close to us. There are going to be circumstances in life when we will get angry. It is when we let that anger grow uncontrolled to where it causes us to sin that it becomes destructive.

i. You can express it. This is when you want to hit out at someone, destroy things and hurt others.

ii. You can suppress it. To suppress is to bottled up or keep it inside. Anger that is bottled up hurts and keeps on hurting. A great number of people walk around daily with smiles on their faces, but just under the surface, there's a raging anger is waiting to explode. Internalizing your anger is just as wrong as expressing it.

ii. You can tell God about it and choose not to vent it. You can channel your anger in a constructive way.

Uncontrolled anger is one of the contributing factors to the destruction of homes, wastage of opportunities and tearing apart churches. It has led to meaningless violence, messy divorce, broken relationships, wounded hearts, heartless murder, heart-breaking suicides, and verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. It is a major cause of health problems and lack of productivity in the workplace. Unrestrained anger plans revenge. Many erratic behaviours occur when you bottled up anger. Uncontrolled anger sends a signal you're not responsible. It results to fighting and quarrelling. Untamed anger blocks God’s blessings. It chases away your destiny helpers.

CAUSES OF ANGER?

1. Injustice.

2. Strife.

3. Impatience.

4. Envy and Jealousy.

5. Insecurity.

6. Fear of confrontation.

7. Abuse-physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, and mental.

8. Unmet expectations.

9. Tension from past hurts.

10. Pain of rejection.

11. False accusations.

12. Being belittled.

13. When you cannot have your way.

14. Inherited tendencies.

15. Defence mechanism.

16. Trauma or loss.

17. Neglect or Abandonment as a child.

18. Unwillingness to accept responsibility.

CONSEQUENCES OF UNCONTROLLED ANGER

1. You miss your opportunity and place in destiny.

2. It affects your health.

Uncontrolled anger can lead to stress, depression, and other mental health issues. It makes you more vulnerable to heart disease, diabetes, a weakened immune system, insomnia, and high blood pressure.