Uprooting Anger
Anger is a monster that destroys individuals, families, businesses, and churches. It creates fear on the road and in the workplace. Many are terrorized by it, and many are in bondage to it. The harder you try to control it, the more often it explodes. Anger, left unchecked, is sure to grow.
God’s design for man and His guidelines for walking in righteousness don’t have a place for unresolved anger. He tells us to put it off, to put it behind us and to move on in Him. Few know how to do that. Many sincere Christians have been frustrated in their attempts to put off anger because they went about it the wrong way.
Anger and the Dandelion
Like a dandelion, anger is unwanted. Left unchecked it scatters everywhere, creating consequences far beyond the source. Its roots grow deep and are not easily pulled up.
However, anger roots are very different from dandelion roots. Dandelion roots are distinctly “dandelion.” If you want to get rid of the dandelion, you dig up the dandelion root. The roots of anger are not so easily identified. People try desperately to pull up the root of anger, and find themselves still angry, because anger has many roots, and unlike the dandelion, they are not distinctly “anger.” Anger grows from roots of guilt, pride, bitterness, selfishness, fear, desire for control, and more. In order to rid yourself of anger, the other roots that have anchored deep into your life need to be dealt with.
Anger and the Word of God
The Word of God confirms that anger springs from many sources. I (Kay) studied Bible passages that deal with anger in order to find its roots. While not an exhaustive study of anger, or of the Scriptures that deal with it, many roots from which anger grows are exposed.
We have heard and gained hope from the verse, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32), but did you know that it does not always prove true? Jesus later tells us why, “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you” (John 8:38 Italics added). When we know the truth (His word), but it has no place in us, we are not set free by it. We must apply the truth to our lives, taking it into ourselves. Only as the truth is applied will we be set free.
Truth Hits Home
I began this study as I sought answers for the devastation from anger in families that we were counseling. I was looking for a quick-fix, one-size-fits-all cure for anger. As I looked for answers for “them,” I quickly saw that I had a problem too. I was maybe more controlled than some, didn’t blow up as loudly, was better at justifying my anger, and did not hold on to it—but my problem was as real as those I was seeking to help! God has used the study for my own personal growth, not only in overcoming my anger, but also in making me much less judgmental of others who get angry.
While looking for the quick-fix answer, I became more and more frustrated until I began looking at one passage at a time. I discovered that there was no quick-fix answer because anger has many roots, and each must be dealt with. The study led to thirty-one meditations, with a study/application page for each.
