[This post was written in Mid-March.]
You can ask any of my friends and they will tell you that I am not an overly religious person. But Saturday night something told me to go to church on Sunday morning. After years of experience I know to listen to my instincts. They never lead me astray.
My friends will also tell you that I am very laid back and it takes a lot to really make me angry. Through trial and error, I have found that anger doesn’t work too well for me. I get vicious and nasty, bridges burn, babies cry and people hide in caves out of sheer terror.
I got up early this morning, thanks to Daylight Savings time my body thought it was 7am. I chose to go to the first service at the Methodist Church up the street because I am very traditional when it comes to my religion and wanted a traditional service. I was welcomed into the church with open arms. They were very warm and inviting. Pastor Tom greeted me right as I walked in the door, got me a program and escorted me into the sanctuary.
This week’s sermon was the fifth in a series on the deadly sins, cleverly disguised under the title “7 Habits of Victorious Disciples.” This week’s topic: wrath. Absolutely perfect for me. I told you my instincts know what is going on. Until last weekend I had been angry for the past month. I was filled with pure rage to the point that it was breaking me apart. Even making me cry. I was miserable. Livid.
Dr. Steven Stosny, the “anger guru” and a psychologist from Maryland, developed an approach to anger management based on the premise that anger stems from an experience that triggers an individual’s core hurts. Core hurts include the following feelings:
- rejection
- disregard
- powerless
- failure
I chose to list those four core hurts because those are the ones that I identified with over the past couple weeks. The most amazing experience is when God takes away that anger. He has the power to do that, the power to calm. He did that to me. I can’t explain it in words, I can just believe it.
Psalm 103:8
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
Exodus 34:6
The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving, kindness and truth.
James 1:19-20
This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
So Lord, this is my prayer to you on this day. Help me to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.