Devotional: Facing Our Anger With Patience

The Bible allows us to better understand how we can face our anger with patience and grace. Proverbs 14:29 tells us, “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” We can interpret this verse to mean that not only does patience and understanding lead to wisdom, but that anger can be counter-productive when it comes to truly seeing the situation we are in.

God knows that human beings experience strong emotions from time to time, and instead of telling us to never feel angry, He encourages patience and self-control. Not only is this a way of respecting ourselves, but it’s also a way of respecting those around us as well. After all, God isn’t asking us to suppress our feelings –– He is inviting us to learn how to manage them in a manner respectful of both ourselves and others.

In James 1:19-21, the Lord says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (emphasis added), because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.” Here God invites us surrender our anger into His hands for refinement — trusting in Him even when times are challenging .

We also know that according Psalm 4:4 which states: “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger”. In other words, don’t allow negative emotions overtake you––instead use lines from scripture such as this one remind yourself stay focused on peace rather than allowing hostility consume one’s thoughts .

What about moments when conflicts arise between family members or close friends? The Bible teaches that even during these tense times it is best address matters head by using either kinder language as possible––or invoking some form silence until emotional responses reach manageable levels again––before trying work through issues at hand more productively . It may also helpful remain physically separate from those involved if tensions escalate further while moreover affording oneself some unstructured alone time afterward so as think through matters more clearly without judgement or criticism before responding accordingly at later once more calm has been restored .

Finally ,it’s worth noting Jesus’ messages around personal forgiveness ,such his parables involving two debtors (Matthew 18 : 21 – 35) or words surrounding Peter’s questioning about forgiveness (Matthew 18 : 21 – 22 ) indicating he expected his followers practice same principles in daily life too . Though forgiving another person doesn’t necessarily require forgetting what has happened—or overlooking injustice—we know acts compassion towards ourselves can help soften intense grief associated with holding onto hurtful memories .

By following these principles outlined in the Bible coupled with regular prayer ,we can begin progress towards resolving disagreements peacefully while finding solace amidst turbulent times too .

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