Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:19-21
I had a lot of anger as a child. My father used to tell me that I would be ‘no good’ because of my anger. There were contributing factors and an atmosphere which bred that anger, which I understand now. I was small for my age – I was held back in second grade not because of grades but because of my size. I was constantly bullied. I learned how to use my ‘sixth sense’ to avoid certain situations at school. At home it was different. With an older brother who also was very different than myself and who also prodded my anger more than necessary, we really didn’t ‘get along’. I learned to live in my own solitude and world as a kid. Then during my middle school years being diagnosed with leukemia slowed down my physical maturation even more, causing me to be the shortest boy in the school even though I was a year older. After being healed — it took several years for my body to catch up. High school was miserable for me socially, and physically. But coming into my senior year and with a summer of explosive growth I graduated taller than almost every girl. But I still had lots of underlying anger.
Being ‘taught’ by the Holy Spirit was SO very new to me. I didn’t have anyone in my ‘Church’ experience to really explain anything about the Holy Spirit to me, or how He interrelated to us. But with the anger — it was something He began to work on early in me after being ‘baptized in the Spirit’.
Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah Psalms 4:4
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27
These scriptures brought me to the Holy Spirit for clarification. How can one be angry and not sin? Because I still had a LOT of anger deep within me. And my father said my anger was sinful. Then the Holy Spirit brought me to His fruit of self control. (Galatians 5:22-23) Dealing with anger had to be done with discipline. Learning how to release the anger in ways that didn’t harm anyone. Why?
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, Ephesians 6:12
My anger needed to be released in a way that let it flow out of me, usually by vigorous physical activity. Back when I was in high school it was working out, riding bike, skate boarding, and running. I needed to have physical activity that wore me out and allowed the anger to subside. I needed to release it in ways where people weren’t in the ‘line of fire’.
Since then I’ve learned that emotions and feelings are just like thoughts need to be brought to the Throne of Jesus for clarification. So that I don’t have to ‘own’ all of those feelings and take them into myself, but can ‘let them go’ with the help of the Holy Spirit. Just because you ‘feel’ a certain way does not mean you ‘own’ that feeling. It could be your soul senses being activated by certain things swirling around you. The Holy Spirit should be your FIRST counselor when determining what to do with those emotions and feelings.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5
This process comes with daily conversation with the Holy Spirit about every aspect of your life. I believe we need to also do this process with each of our emotions and feelings, in learning how to navigate our lives, emotions, feelings, and thoughts with His help, instruction, and direction.
Have you ever considered bringing your emotions and feelings to Him and asking for His help and explanation? Can we submit our entire lives to the Holy Spirit’s counsel and direction?
I’ve learned …we can choose to do that.