How Does Anger Affect You?

Verses:  Matthew 5:21-26

My thoughts about the verses:

When we think about the Ten Commandments we respect the fact that we are not to murder.  Murdering is the taking of a life and no one other than God has that right.  Yet, do we really stop and think about the many ways that we murder people each day without hurting a hair on their body?  Do we think about how our decisions can affect a person’s life forever?  Do we hold grudges that defile us in front of God’s eyes?

See anger is as much murder as is actually killing someone.  I know this is hard for us to accept.  Yet, we all have people in our life that we have never forgiven.  We carry that grudge and anger in our life each and every day.  We might even have to be around this person on a daily basis yet our anger allows us to treat them bad.

I have seen numerous times where I would rather know that you dislike me than be a friend that stabs me in my back.  These are those grudges that we hold onto for years and years.  We are all smiles around the person.  Yet, when we get away from them we immediately start talking bad about them.  We turn our smiles into frowns. 

We have to realize that what God wants us to do in reconcile with those that we are angry with.  It is amazing when someone comes to you and tells you that something that you did made them angry.  In fact, you may have never known that you had hurt them.  Yet, they have held that anger that hurt in their life and it has affected multiple relationships.

We then have to look at our own life is there people that we are angry with.  Do we have grudges that we have held onto?  Think about what it does to a body to hold that anger inside.  Jesus makes it clear that we have to forgive those that have hurt us.  We also have to ask forgiveness from those that we have hurt.

See what we miss is that anger keeps us from being the children that God wants us to be.  You cannot fully serve God when you are angry.  When you hold grudges you cannot truly worship God.  You may think that it isn’t interfering with your relationship with God but how can you fully serve God when your life is full of anger.

We need to remember that Jesus set the example that we need to follow.  We were not worthy of the love and grace of God.  Yet, God didn’t hold an eternal grudge against us.  God chose to send Jesus as a way of reconciling us with the one who created us.  We will never be perfect but if we accept the gift of forgiveness that Jesus offers our life will change forever. 

God not only forgives us but forgets the things we have done against God.  The concept is that we have to come to that point that we accept that God not only forgives us but we are totally loved.  The anger that could have been there is nonexistent.  Imagine a life in which the only thing that you have for others is love.  We need to make this a priority in our life.

That is why Jesus says that offering up sacrifices or repentance to God isn’t enough.  We have to go to those that we have hurt and ask for forgiveness.  Now there are times that we cannot actually do this because of distance, their death or not knowing how to get in touch with them.  In those moments we need to ask God to accept our apology.  At the same time ask God to forgive us for letting time and boundaries from keeping us from asking for forgiveness. 

Now what we should also do is freely give forgiveness to those that ask for forgiveness.  This not only helps them but it also helps you.  Again there maybe times that this can’t happen face to face.  So here is where you have the power.  You can forgive them through prayer.  They might not be ready to ask for forgiveness.  Yet, it will help you and will help you keep from allowing anger feel your life.

I am thinking about those that were studying the Bible and communing with God.  They openly welcomed a stranger to come in and worship God with them.  Yet before the night was over 9 would lay dead.  That isn’t the end of the story what I think was the most amazing part is what the families did during the arraignment.  They did something that many of us would have a hard time to do.  They forgave him for his actions.  It doesn’t mean that they condoned what happened.  It doesn’t mean that they were not in grief.  It doesn’t mean that they were going to forget what happened.  It didn’t mean that they didn’t want to see justice for their loved ones.  What it did was free their spirit of anger and hate.  They were able to reconnect with God and to start the healing process.

We need to remember that forgiveness is something that we can freely give.  Allowing yourself to let go of anger and grudges will free you from the hurt in your life.  Follow the example that Jesus gives us.  Don’t ask God to forgive you until you ask forgiveness for what you have done.  It is in that act that you show God that you have a heart of love.  Follow this rule and you will soon find out that your life is changed for the good.

Prayer:

We thank you for your love.  We praise you God for your forgiveness.  We thank you for forgetting the things that we do wrong when you accept us in our life.  Help us ask for forgiveness when we need to.  Help us forgive those that have hurt us.  Help us most importantly God to ask for your forgiveness by asking Jesus in our life.  In the name of the Messiah we pray.  Amen

Questions:

Have you asked God to forgive you for all that you have or will do?  Do you have the faith to accept God’s everlasting love?  Are you willing to forgive those that have hurt you?  Are you ready to ask for forgiveness for the people that you have hurt?  Are you ready to show people the love that Jesus has shown to you?