Everybody is Filled with Anger

It seems that nowadays everybody is filled with anger. Not only do they brim with anger, but they also stay angry. We seem to always be on the verge of exploding. You can see violence erupting in almost every major city. People don’t want to talk to each other. They want to yell at each other. It’s not about letting others have their opinion. If someone doesn’t agree with us, we get mad at them.

Relationships are breaking.

People just don’t seem to have the patience we once had. And that’s what I really want to talk about. Angry people and anger in general. What is the deal? Why is everyone so angry? What are some of the effects of anger when we get angry? What should we avoid?

At times, everyone will probably get. When that happens, what can we do about it? Why does everyone seem so angry? I’ve talked about how we all have prejudices and how politicians. And news media and others can take advantage of those feelings and inflamed them. Once they push all the right button, our prejudices can easily be turned into hatred. Once we become full of hatred, then anger is often the next thing that happens to us.

We allowed our leaders and the media to manipulate us and in doing so we surrender our mental and physical health to them. After all, anger is not a healthy emotion. Now, what are some of the dangers or some of the effects of anger? Well, anger is an emotion that most definitely takes a toll on us physically, spiritually and psychologically. If it’s so bad for us why is everybody filled with anger?

Think about what happens when you really get angry at somebody. Quite often you shut down. You don’t want to have anything to do with that person. I’ve seen cases where families are broken apart by anger, where one family member was so angry with another one that the family was split apart, sometimes permanently, but always, at least for a while.

In other words, it isolates us from others as we read in Genesis 27:41-43. “So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him.

And Esau said to himself. ‘Well, the days of mourning for my father are near. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.’ Now, when the words of her elder son Esau was reported to Rebecca, she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, ‘behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you now. My son, obey my voice and arise. Flee to Haran, to my brother Laban.’”

Now here was a situation where jealousy caused a rift between brothers. The resentment, the jealousy that Esau felt over what he considered a slight by his father. You know, festered into such anger that he was willing to kill his brother. Anger, especially when coupled with jealousy, can create evil thoughts and motives in each of us and in its strongest form can indeed lead to murder.

Now that other story about Esau and Jacob some people consider it to be just, you know, an allegory, a made-up story. It gives you a great idea, a feeling for how jealousy can cause feelings to fester and poison you. Now another story also out of Genesis Chapter 4, verses one through 8 is about Cain and Abel. And again, these are allegories that people may not know and so it may not have really happen.

But it’s a story we have seen carried out through time, immoral time happens over and over. And this is the story of Cain and Abel. A lot of people have heard about it now. “Man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. And then she said, ‘I have obtained a male child with the help of the Lord. ‘ And then again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was the keeper of flocks, but Cain was the cultivator of the land.” (Abel was the rancher. Cain was a farmer.) “So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the ground. Ground Abel on his part also brought an offering from the first born of his flock. And from their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel in his offering. But for Cain, in his offering, he had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his face was gloomy. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘why are you angry? And why is your face gloomy if you do? Well, will your face not be cheerful? And if you do not do well. Sin is lurking at the door and its desire for you, but you must master it.’” It’s like what I said about prejudice. We let it fester inside of us It’s lurking at the door. Now Cain talked to his brother Abel, and it happened when they were in the field. Anger get the best of him. Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

And like I said, people often say, well, that’s a fictional story. If it didn’t really happen whether it did or not isn’t the point of the story. The point of the story is that untreated resentment, untreated anger. Can and often does cause problems for us. The reality is, in today’s world we see that type of situation arise. School shootings are often carried out by people who feel isolated, who feel ignored, who feel picked on, and they begin to resent those around them. And they often lash out in violence.

Maybe the reaction will not be overt physical violence, but it can and does often lead to conflict and arguments. In Proverbs 15:1 “a general answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” We can see this on social media. We can see this in our politics. Someone makes a comment that another person doesn’t like, and so they lash out. See this in our political actions every day. Now we call people names, calling the person names using derogatory language towards them. And then when this happens in the real world, fist often starts flying, everybody is filled with anger.

And perfect examples of this can really be seen during sporting events. It doesn’t matter if they’re professional or amateur. Somebody will make a remark about a player, a coach or an official, and someone else will react. The reactions are quick and they are most often not well thought out.

We have to ask ourselves when we get angry, what should we avoid? Can we avoid things?

Well, first and foremost, watch your mouth James 3:5. “Also, the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a force to set aflame by such a small?” I have often told people, and I’ve said this before in my messages. It’s not what we say, it’s how we say it. Your vocal tone, your body language, can all relate to a message as clearly as any words you speak. If you’re frustrated, feeling yourself getting angry, try turning away.

Taking a deep breath and thinking about what you want to say. Don’t just blurt out the first words that come to mind. Other words, slow down. Don’t act on impulse. Take your time before you do anything rash.

But since everybody’s going to get angry at times, what can we do about it? As I said earlier, at times, most of us will become angry.

I have become angry. I can get really angry really fast. And so, what’s for me and for a lot of us, it’s important that we do our best to avoid those situations where we are on the verge of anger. Again, we turn to James Chapter 1 verses 19 through 20. “This, you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”

Each of us knows what will trigger us to anger. Might be a political statement that an acquaintance makes. It might be a tweet or Facebook post that we see a TikTok video. It’s important that we step back and as my Mama used to say, take a deep breath and count to 10 by the time you reach 10 Or 50 or 100. Whatever you were reacting to will most likely be off your timeline, and you can relax.

However, there are times when, regardless of how high we count or how much we try. We’re still going to get angry. So what do we do? What do we do when we feel ourselves that at that boiling point?

Don’t feed it.

This is only going to encourage it to stay. Ephesians 426 be angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger. Oh my goodness. We can all hold grudges. I know. I can I try not to harbor real feelings, but I’m human so often I do. I have some that in the back of my mind for I’m an old man that I we had grudges against people for years. I try not to, but I’m human and I have friends who, when they get angry, won’t call or talk to me for a month or so because they’re angry.

Heck, I have some. Well, I guess now they’re just acquaintances they haven’t spoke to me since the 2016 election, and that was what, eight years ago? They have no idea how I voted. OK, they just know I didn’t tell them I was voting the same way they did.

Social media is a great feeder of anger. People can hide behind their keyboards and lash out at people. They call them names and generally act as instigators for what? What some type of satisfaction, I guess.

Talk it out with those you’re angry at Matthew 5:21-26. “You have heard that the ancients were told you shall not commit murder, and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court. And whoever says to his brother you good for nothing shall be guilty before the Supreme Court. (That’s the Sanhedrin) And whoever says you fool shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery. Hell, therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you. Leave your offering near before the altar and go first. Reconciled to your brother. And then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer and you be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last sentence”. Think about that.

We have to try to forgive sometimes the person you want to forgive, and you want to work things out with. They don’t want to talk to you. There’s nothing you can do about that. What you have to do, the best you can and that’s going to do it for this one before I go, I do want to close out with a prayer.

Dear Heavenly Father, we live in a world that is slowly being pulled. By forces of anger and hatred. I ask that you come into my life and help me understand those who are so angry and help me to maintain a sense of calm and to not let my anger control me. Thank you for being there for me and helping me during these times. Amen.

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