Too Hot to Handle: Releasing Anger and Embracing Peace
Misunderstanding creates an opening for the enemy. We hold others captive, locking them into words and actions said and done in a moment of haste. In these instances, the pain remains. It is the reality of living among other imperfect people in a flawed and fallen world. While anger is not a sin, holding anger that is not aligned with the Father’s Heart can cause more pain. This anger is too hot to handle and therefore, dangerous to our heart condition. When we hold anger, fear and pride bully us into silence. We don’t speak up to initiate the kind of heartfelt communication that leads to peace, freedom, and sometimes, reconciliation. Until our hearts find a resolution, we may nurse revenge fantasies, dreaming of opportunities to best those who injured us. Instead of affirming the personal value that was underestimated or overlooked, we seek to prove our worth. Our hearts expose that we have unknowingly created an idol by focusing more on the other person than focusing on who God has been to us and what He has done. Sometimes, we believe that we have moved on from an incident, yet we punish those closest to us for what someone else has done. The name, face, or circumstance may be different, but something familiar triggers. It keeps us entrenched in an old cycle. We lash out at those near to us now, but in truth, our anger is toward the one who first hurt us. It may seem impossible and unlikely, but forgiveness will help us to disintegrate the stronghold that unresolved anger wields. When we withhold forgiveness, we deny our freedom. We insist on being the judge of justice in a situation that elevates our pain above Jesus. In commanding us to forgive, God isn’t denying what was [...]
