Get Control!

Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the LORD will possess the land.

Psalm 37:8-9

THERE ARE SO many things to get angry about in this world. Sam cursed at his next-door neighbors because so many of their leaves blew onto his lawn. Janetta was furious with her mother for telling some of her friends about Janetta’s problems with her children. Lawrence quit his job because his boss made so many demands on him. And Mary was oversensitive and spent most of her time being angry at someone about something, usually some comment someone else made or a suspicion that someone had talked about her behind her back.

Unhealthy anger destroys many relationships. All kinds of bad things happen because so-and-so gets angry at a friend, a relative, or a coworker and doesn’t deal properly with it.

If improper anger is the wrong response, what is the proper response? According to this passage, trusting the Lord about a situation is how to handle it. Trust him to help you work it through and be forgiving. Trust him to lead you in efforts at reconciliation. Trust him to deal with the person who has sinned against you.

God wants you to trust him about such things and to act in faith. His promise is he will make it right.