In light of ‘The Academy Award’ incident that has been all over the news and social media, we should be reminded of this beautiful and timely quote from Scripture:
Be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to rouse your temper; God’s righteousness is never served by man’s anger. ~James 1:19-20
As all of us struggle with some form or level of anger, this phrase should really hit home for us – especially during our Lenten journey.
God made each of us with the traits that we possess. And we need to remember that we have been created in God’s image and likeness; therefore we are naturally good. However, sometimes human nature kicks in and sends us in a different direction. The secret is figuring out how to deal with those distracting directions (like our anger) and focusing on how we can improve the way we react in various situations.
Here are a few tips (in no particular order) that have worked for me when dealing with anger.
- Identify the triggers and warning signs. If we know what triggers our anger and can sense when it is ready to boil over, then we have a better chance of stopping it before we regret the outcome.
- Walk away from the situation. In the heat of the moment, it is best to step away until we have calmed down and re-assess the situation. This will prevent us from doing or saying something in the height of the moment.
- Try some breathing exercises. If we step back and take some really deep breathes, we will be able to feel the reduction of our stress and our pulse will begin to slow. It is then when we will be able to think more clearly.
- Change our way of thinking. Put ourselves in someone else’s shoes before lashing out. A change of perspective should guide our actions and reactions more positively.
- Try talking it out in prayer. There is no better way to calm our anger than by praying to our heavenly Father. Asking for the strength to withhold any lingering feelings or actions before reacting will reset our mood and put us on the right path to acting with dignity and grace.
May we continually ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us when we are faced with our issues of anger and grant us the peace of mind and heart to suppress that anger and turn it into something good. Amen.
It’s not about anger – it’s all about love. Read more.
