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Anger and Forgiveness
January 15, 2011

It is said that it is human to sin and devine to forgive. Anger is an emotion that each of us has and experience with others. Forgiveness is the spiritual tool we are given to undo anger. There are also bits of advice given in the Bible about preventing anger, and my favorite verses are located in Proverbs.

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

Proverbs 21:14
A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.

Proverbs 20:2
The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

The advice from the Book of Proverbs is clear. We should avoid causing anger as much as possible. Unfortunately, we cannot control how others will respond to directives, requests, or needs. Some of these responses will manifest themselves as anger and this type of anger is seen across the spectrum of humanity. So what can we do to minimize anger? I believe we can be a forgiving individual and teach forgiveness to others. This is important to us as Christians, that we must forgive others in order to be forgiven ourselves.

Matthew 6:14-15
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Here is the reason why forgiveness is important. Anger is an emotional response to a situation, and this situation is either caused by another person, or by our own action. In other words, we sometimes get angry because of what somebody else says or does, and sometimes we get angry at ourselves because of something we say or do. What most fail to understand is when we allow ourselves to become angry, we cede control of ourselves to the situation that originates the anger. If another person has said or done something to make use angry, we cede control of ourselves to that person as that person is enabled by us to establish anger within us. If we allow something we say or do to cause us anger, we cede control of our present life to actions from our past life and minimize opportunities for future growth. The easiest way to negate the intended control of anger is to forgive. When we forgive, anger cannot control our lives. I believe that God can only work with those who are led, or controlled by the Holy Spirit. Those who are controlled by anything else are people God cannot have in his Kingdom.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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