Anger Pains and Gains

 

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com 

 

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Some of the most famous words in all of comic book lore are those of the Hulk. 

Don’t make me angry… you wouldn’t like me when Im angry… Or maybe, just maybe we might like you more…

 

What do you do when you are damned? 

I don’t mean damned and going to hell… Yes we are all born sinners and heading to hell unless we reach out for Gods forgiveness and relationship… but I am talking about when we have all these emotions bubbling up and we want to lash out or explode. We have all been treated unfairly to some degree. Someone judges us unfairly, someone speaks lies about us or even someone maligns our character so they get the raise and the new promotion, or look like the better parent.

What do you do with those emotions?

Arthur Ashe one of the greatest tennis players to walk the face of the earth stood out not only because he was a monster on the court, but also because he was a young black man playing as early as the 1960’s. He paved the way for many other players of color… and it wasn’t easy… there were lots of inequalities, lots of bogus calls, lots of favoritism and a good share of racist banter behind doors… many times on part by other white players working against Arthur. But he did not respond, he did not blow up, he did not rant and rave much unlike many of his white counter parts. He couldn’t… not only that he knew it would only work harder against him… Could you imagine as he climbed up the ranks entering the pro’s in 1969 if he threw tantrums like John McEnroe? What it would cost him and what it would cost other players of color in the future?

 

so what did he do? We will get there in a minute…

 

In Karate Kid 2 Daniel sees a poster of Mr. Myagi’s nemesis breaking a log in half with a karate chop. He asks Mr. Myagi if he could do that… he responded “I don’t know, I never been attacked by a tree”. What is he saying in reality… there are better ways to spend ones energy.  

 

Eph. 4:26,27 26“Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 

 

Notice it does not say DON’T BE ANGRY….

That seems weird right? Shouldn’t the bible say no to anger? Well we know God got angry. Jesus flipped tables in the temple. Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees with some pretty strong language and even called them out.. saying do not pray like these hypocrites. 

 

Interesting thing about this word Angry - be provoked, be moved to action 

But it has 2 outcomes. Scripture says when we are provoked by anger to act in the flesh it is sin. But if we are provoked in anger to act in the spirit we are in line with God. 

v. 27 This is what verse 27 says, do not give the devil a foothold. on your anger. 

Foothold is an opportunity… for satan.

so you take that opportunity that is there due to anger and you use it in a Godly way.

 

How can you pour that energy/anger/passion into a better version of yourself. Or into a Godly product or passion? 

 

Arthur Ash took his anger and used it to play each match like it was a ballet but he danced like he was on fire… he played a hard game with a soft heart. He let it fuel him to prove his haters wrong… Did you catch that? He didn’t hate back, he just simply used it to prove to those who hated him that he deserved to be there, to be that man, to be that good and in fact to be that great. 

Are you feeling a little angry? Ask God how he wants to use it in order to make him look good… you might be surprised just how good it feels to be angry.