Things that make me really angry...and why

I don’t get angry easily although I used to when I was a kid.  Then my issues were my insistence upon having my own way, my conviction that I was always right, and my competitive juices often spilled out on the basketball court.  I had an easily-aroused temper growing up.

Now that I am “grown up”, I would like to report that I never get angry.

Wrong.

Several times the Bible speaks of being angry, while not sinning (See Psalm 4:3,4; Ephesians 4:25-32).  It is most often how we react in our anger that displeases God.  For me I have that the difference between reacting and responding is TIME, and taking a deep breath and waiting helps me not act out in anger.

Still, I get angry.

I get angry at injustice, when people are wrongfully mistreated.

I get angry at abuse, when someone’s value is disregarded either verbally or physically.

That all sounds a little self-righteous, so I confess…

I get angry when I am ignored or disrespected.

I get angry when I don’t get my way…if it’s something I feel strongly about and have a sense of being right.

I get angry at myself, most often when I harbor feelings of bitterness and resentment.

I have even had moments when I was angry at God.  Maybe I couldn’t understand why things were happening the way they were, or why someone was suffering, or why I was not being appreciated for all my hard work.

As if God were to blame.

Feelings of anger may never disappear.  How we manage them and respond—instead of reacting—will be a  sign that we are “growing up” in Him.  Yes, there is hope for us in Christ when we submit to His discipline and love.