Have you noticed how anger and disrespect seem to be everywhere?
People are quick to criticize, slow to listen, and increasingly unwilling to submit to any authority. Whether it’s in homes, schools, churches, politics, or social media, anger has become almost a badge of honor.
But what if these attitudes are symptoms of something much deeper?
Today’s readings reveal the devastating cost of compromise, the influence our lives have on the next generation, and why our response to authority ultimately reveals something about our relationship with God Himself.
The consequences are far greater than damaged relationships or a divided culture. They reach into eternity.
Today we’ll see once again that sinful behavior has consequences. And when it comes to parenting, one of the most devastating sins is favoritism. Add selfishness and manipulation to the equation and you have a destructive combination that can tear families apart. Isaac and Rebekah had to learn that lesson the hard way.
The consequences of favoritism, selfishness, and other sins can be long-lasting and painful to our families, too. How can we recognize and prevent those things in our parenting?
We’ll also read about the difference between righteous anger and sinful anger, the chastening of the Lord, and the importance of defending the faith in love.
What does Christian maturity look like? Is it the things we do, like going to church or reading our Bibles? Is it the “big sins” we don’t do, like getting drunk or stealing? Or is Christian maturity something else? What did Paul mean when he said, “walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph. 4.1)?
Do you ever battle with worry, anger, and anxiety in your thoughts? How can you conquer them so your mind is filled with contentment and peace?
Also, find links to last week’s other posts. They covered everything from responding to private temptations and the unpardonable sin to how to trust God when evil seems to be triumphing everywhere.
Anger … it’s a common, almost universal struggle. We get angry because we want to decide what’s right and what’s wrong for us! We want to control what goes on around us. Anger is not just an emotion. It’s an issue of the heart (Matt. 15.18-20). And when we are angry our tendency, instead of taking responsibility for it, is to make excuses, minimize it, or blame other people or our circumstances. We’ve touched on them in previous posts, but today, we’re going to talk about the two primary forms of anger and steps to overcoming it.
While it may take different forms, most of us have struggled with anger. Some of us turn our anger inward by clamming up or engaging in self-destructive behaviors. Some of us explode at the least provocation. No matter how we express it, anger can be extremely damaging. Today’s post is part 2 of our discussion on “Handling Anger Biblically.”
While it may take different forms, most of us have struggled with anger. Some of us turn our anger inward by clamming up or engaging in self-destructive behaviors. Some of us explode at the least provocation. Anger can be extremely destructive. It can cost us our jobs, our marriages, our families, our testimonies, even our health. Much has been written about anger and how to control it, but the Bible doesn’t call us to control sinful anger. It calls us to something much deeper.
We’ve all seen them or experienced them, blended families with angry, resentful children or teens. And parents who are just trying to “live through it” until the kids are old enough to leave home. In some cases, the children aren’t only angry but are in full-blown rebellion. I don’t have to tell you this falls far short of God’s best for families.How does this happen when couples start out with such high hopes for their marriages and families?
Anger, who hasn’t experienced it. We call it by different names like frustration, upset, hurt. Doing so makes us feel better about it or minimize it in some way. Jesus had a different view. He didn’t minimize it. In fact, He showed us it’s a serious heart issue.
Welcome to Mondays @ Soul Survival. Each week I feature a book that I consider a valuable resource. This week’s selection is Anger & Stress Management God’s Way by Wayne Mack. Anger and Stress: Who hasn’t struggled with one...
