Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.
Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join James, a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life's biggest questions and helps us find God's solutions to life's struggles. Learn the power of living by God's grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are on a search for freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!
Lessons for Life with James Long, Jr.
Breaking Free from Anger: A Biblical Approach to Emotional Control
Can anger be more than just a fleeting emotion? Join me, James Long, as we uncover the deeper roots of anger through the lens of Robert D. Jones' transformative study "Uprooting Anger." This episode promises to reshape your understanding of anger, revealing it as a reflection of our inner moral judgments and perceptions. Together, we'll explore how aligning our motives with God's glory can turn our anger into a force for good, starting with a profound internal transformation rather than superficial changes.
Through powerful biblical narratives like Potiphar's unchecked rage, Moses' frustration, and Herod's wrath, we delve into the complexities of anger and its potential for destruction. These stories serve as cautionary tales, illustrating the peril of allowing anger to steer our actions. We'll reflect on Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5, learning how His words urge us to treat anger with the seriousness it warrants, and how we can navigate our emotional landscape to align with divine will.
Finally, the episode guides us on a path toward lasting change through Christ. By examining the parable of the unforgiving servant and the wisdom of Proverbs, we discover the transformative power of grace, forgiveness, and self-control. Emphasizing practical steps such as taking responsibility, devising a temptation plan, and regular scripture study, we'll uncover how to manage anger constructively. With gratitude and hope, we embark on a journey toward spiritual maturity, embracing the freedom and peace offered through faith in Christ. Join us as we continue this enlightening journey to uproot anger and find a hopeful future in the next session of our Lunch and Learn series.
ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE
Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn the power of living by God’s grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are in search of freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!
Links
Website – https://jameslongjr.org/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/drjameslongjr
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/drjameslongjr/
Apple Podcast – https://jameslongjr.org/applepodcast
Google Podcast – https://jameslongjr.org/googlepodcast
Hello everyone, it's James Long and welcome back to our Lunch and Learn. It has been so good to have you with us over these last several weeks and if you're new to us, welcome. We have been taking some time during lunchtime on Wednesdays, from about 12 PM Eastern standard, for about 30 to 45 minutes to walk through a study. This study we are doing is the study called Uprooting Anger, and in this Uprooting Anger series, this book is written by Robert D Jones and it is on how we deal with anger, and so, once again, it has been a really great opportunity to meet with all of you. Now, if you've been with us before, or let's say if you haven't, let's just give a quick review.
Speaker 1:What Robert Jones says is that anger is this whole person active response of a negative moral judgment against perceived evil, and what he's getting at here is the fact that anger is not just an emotion. Anger is all of who we are. It's something that we're actually doing and it's based on something that we view as negative. We're making a negative moral judgment about something and then we perceive that as evil. And, as we've been talking about, the fact of the matter is is that anger oftentimes comes from perceptions and our perceptions sometimes are wrong. Anger in and of itself reveals sinful behaviors, and it's often a sign of something that's deeper, that something happening deep in our hearts, and so this is not just a surface change. A lot of times we think that if we could just get rid of that person, if we can leave that, then things will change. If we can leave that circumstance, then our angle will change. But the reality is that anger oftentimes reveals something that's even happening deeper in our hearts. So we can't just have outward actions changing our outward actions. We need to address the root of our anger, and so today we're going to be talking about the fact that anger reveals something that is happening within.
Speaker 1:Sinful anger in and of itself shows us that we're seeking something other than God's glory and others' good. You remember we have said that God has wired us to glorify him, to reveal him, to display him, and so when we fail to do that, sinful anger is showing that there is something off track. If you remember, there were three criteria to help us to determine whether anger is sinful or not. One whether it has a godly standard. If there's a godly motive God's glory and others good. And number three are we displaying it in a way that reflects Christ, and so sinful anger shows that we're seeking something other than God's glory. And what we've been saying is this that true change is possible, but it happens from the inside out. It happens when we replace our sinful desires and replace them with the heart of Christ, and so I really hope that, as we've been doing it over these last four or five weeks here, that you've learned that there's some biblical strategies.
Speaker 1:Confession is where we agree with God. In 1 John it says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. And then it's also relying on God's grace that we can't do this on our own. If we could, then we wouldn't need God, we wouldn't need anyone. But the reality is that we can't deal with our sin, the need for forgiveness of our sin or freedom from our sin on our own. We need God's grace, and what Christ does is he calls us to transform our anger into responses that reflect his glory, that we can take the emotion. Oftentimes we find ourselves getting angry for maybe right reasons, but we don't handle it in right ways because we don't have the godly motive or we don't display it in godly ways, and what Christ wants us to do is to reflect his character in all that we do and how we respond.
Speaker 1:So today let's spend some time looking at uprooting anger. And let's look at our fifth lesson changing our anger behavior, sinful, revealing. So this is a really important piece of the puzzle. I want you to recognize that anger is revealing something. So once again, I want to welcome you back. If any of you have any questions, you always put those in the chat line. I'll see if I can get to those later. If not, we'll deal with them in future lessons.
Speaker 1:So we're going to be diving into this fifth chapter, and this fifth chapter helps us to focus on how our sinful behaviors can reveal what's going on in our hearts, in our lives, and especially how our anger is a pivotal in the role of what we do. It exposes something deeper, and what we're going to examine is how our anger doesn't just happen. It's a window into our souls, it's a window into our hearts, and so understanding anger is so crucial because it opens up a pathway for real change. See, change doesn't happen from the outside in, it happens from the inside out. So here's the critical thought.
Speaker 1:I want you to realize that anger doesn't just pop out of nowhere. When we experience anger, especially sinful anger, it's not merely a reaction to what's happening around us. It's a reflection of something that's already happening within us. And so, today, what I want you to see is that, as we desire these things, I want you to see that the sinful behaviors that we have are a mirror into the soul, of what's going on in our lives. And this is one of the most powerful realizations that we can have in our walk with Christ that it shifts our focus from trying to change our circumstances, which so many of us try to do, to changing ourselves. And that is huge.
Speaker 1:So I want you today to prayerfully consider what it is that may be happening in you, so that God can work through you. So let's pray as we get started. So, father, I want to thank you. I want to praise you for your kind grace and your mercy. I want to thank you for the group that is here and those that will listen, in the future as well, to this lesson. I pray that, more than just information, I pray that you would do a transformative work in our hearts and our lives, father, when we struggle with anger, a lot of times we struggle with control. We want to try to control people and circumstances, thinking that they're the cause of what's happening within us, but they just reveal what's happening within us. So, lord, I pray that we would learn more about ourselves and desperately more about you. Help us to rely. Anger is revealed, and so I want you to think about these biblical examples, about anger manifests itself in different ways and the consequences that follow.
Speaker 1:Now, these three passages are probably familiar to you, and in some of the passages we will see that anger is seemingly justified, and others will see that anger is clearly sinful, but what it does is it reveals that there's a deeper truth that is there. It's revealing something about the person's heart, their actions. It's revealing something about their relationship with God. Now, the first one is in Genesis 39, verses 19 through 20. Now it's a story where Potiphar's heart burned with anger. Now in Genesis 39, you're probably familiar with the story we find the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife and after being falsely accused of some impropriety by Potiphar's wife, potiphar burned with anger. The scriptures say he actually threw Joseph into prison, and here anger is driven by a sense of betrayal perhaps, maybe even shame. But I want you to notice something's really important about this passage Potiphar didn't investigate the truth, he immediately responded. He had this emotional response and he immediately acted upon that emotional response. He didn't get the information, he just acted out. And what this does is it highlights that anger, even when we think we're justified. What it does? It can cloud our judgment and it can lead us to wrong decisions, and that's exactly what was happening with Potiphar. Potiphar's anger resulted in an innocent man suffering, and so I want you to think about how many times is it that you find yourself, maybe even feeling justified in your anger? And you got just enough information, you think, but then you acted quickly.
Speaker 1:Well, here's a second story from Numbers, chapter 20, verses 6 through 12. And it's also repeated in Psalm 106, verses 32 to 33. We see Moses striking the rock, and Moses is a fascinating example of a leader who allowed his frustration and anger to dictate his actions. Now, in Numbers 20, once again another story you're probably familiar with God instructs Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water for the Israelites who were in need of water, but instead Moses and his anger strikes the rock twice. Now, god didn't applaud him and say it's great that you got your anger off your chest. In fact, what he saw it as is an act of disobedience, and it cost Moses desperately because, if you remember, he did not have the opportunity to enter the promised land. This, his anger, even when it felt justified, can lead to consequences that cause us to act against God's instructions. And Moses' story reminds us that unchecked anger can lead to missing out on great blessings that God may have for us. So I want you to think about this. Sometimes we justify our outburst by saying I needed to vent, but Moses' story tells us that lashing out, even in frustration, can lead to significant issues, significant consequences.
Speaker 1:God actually calls us, god actually calls us, to be a steward of our emotions, aligning them with his will. He wants us to master those emotions. Do you remember where he said into Cain? He says that sin is crouching at your door. It desires to master you, but you must rule over it. He said that in Genesis, chapter four. And do you notice what God was saying to him? He was saying that sin is there, and I want you to recognize that if you don't deal with that sin, it is ready to pounce, but you've got to rule over it, you've got to master it. And it is ready to pounce, but you've got to rule over it, you've got to master it. So we see Potiphar burn with anger and we see Moses striking out at the rock.
Speaker 1:And then the third one is a horrific story of Herod's murderous anger. In Matthew 2, we see this horrifying result of King Herod's wrath. You remember the Magi? They had deceived him. They didn't come back after finding the Lord Jesus Christ at his birth or soon after, actually probably a couple of years afterwards. And then Herod, in his rage. What he did was he ordered the massacre of all male children under two years old in all of Bethlehem. And that extreme anger that he had was fueled by jealousy, fueled by insecurity, fueled by a desire to control, and it led to horrific evil in his life and horrific evil around him. And so Herod's anger was extremely self-serving, and it shows the depth of what will happen when we allow our sinful anger to descend. And this one, specifically, is an example of how our anger is rooted in selfish motives. It's rooted in jealousy, insecurity or fear of losing something. It can lead to disastrous outcomes, devastating outcomes, and Herod's story is a stark warning for us that unchecked anger can lead to great issues in our lives. But I want you to keep in mind do you see any of those aspects in your life, whether it's Potiphar's anger or Moses's anger or Herod's anger? Do you ever see any of those kind of issues in your life?
Speaker 1:Now I want you to consider some observations that Jesus gives us from Matthew, chapter 5. He gives us two observations about anger, and let me read the passage to you in Matthew, chapter 5, verses 21 and 22. And let's look at these two observations. In Matthew, chapter 5, verses 21 and 22, it says this you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder, but whoever murders will be liable to the judgment. But I say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to the judgment, whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council and whoever says you fool, will be liable to the fire of hell. And so what we see here is that Jesus, in his Sermon on the Mount, is giving this famous message on anger. And what Jesus does is he redefines anger how we should think about our anger and linking it amazingly to a commandment from the Ten Commandments do not murder murder. So he's linking our anger today with do not murder, and this is profound and this is challenging, because what it does is it teaches us about the seriousness of our anger in our hearts.
Speaker 1:Now I want you to look at the two observations. Observation number one is that Jesus recognized that anger is a moral equivalent to murder. A moral equivalent. Now, he doesn't just allow us to excuse our anger. Instead, he elevates the discussion of anger to a deep level by showing it's not just about the external actions that we do of murder, but it's a matter of the heart, the internal emotions of our heart. And so when we harbor anger in our hearts, what we're doing is we're committing sin against God, our hearts. What we're doing is we're committing sin against God, we're committing sin against others and in God's eyes, he sees that, from a heart level, equivalent to murder, and this underscores the seriousness of how God views anger and our need to try to control it.
Speaker 1:I want you to think about this. The gravity of this teaching should cause us to pause at times and to think about how our anger sits in our hearts and think about it's never harmless, it's harmful. And it teaches that anger is not just neutral, it's something that is spiritual. It could be even spiritually dangerous, and it requires us to master it in a way that is going to honor God, in a way that is going to honor God. But then he gives a second observation here which I need you to see is that anger in the heart typically comes out of the curses of our lips. So it's the anger in our heart that comes out in the way we speak. See, jesus goes on to explain that anger is our hearts. Don't just hide what's there.
Speaker 1:I heard this story. You ever hear that these leaks that come out of the boardroom or the leaks that come out of some investigation, and these leaks that happen is because something's happening underneath the surface, behind the surface, and eventually it comes out. And so we hear a leak about what's happening about this group and we find out information. Reporters stand there and we've out information. Reporters stand there, we've heard information. Well, that information is coming out because things are happening behind the scenes. It's almost exactly what happens in our hearts that underneath the surface and behind the scenes, there are things that are happening that are now eventually going to have to come out.
Speaker 1:And so I want you to think about how often are your angry outbursts leading you to say things that demean somebody, devalue somebody, put them down and see the name calling. The insults, the harsh words that we have are not about what's happening with them. It's actually what's happening with us and what Jesus is reminding us that these verbal outbursts are a reflection of the anger that is festering within us. So we may not always physically act out in hurting somebody Hopefully you've never done that but I want you to recognize that, even if you haven't physically acted out against somebody, that anger, if not dealt with, can lead to destructive words. It can lead to destructive attitudes. It can lead to destructive attitudes and these words that we speak have the power to tear down, and Jesus warns us of the gravity of allowing our anger to fester to the point that it's the tongue. In James. It says in James, chapter three, that the tongue is like a fire that can spread immense destruction.
Speaker 1:So as we reflect on these verses in Matthew, chapter 5, it becomes clear that, whether expressed through action or through words, anger can have a significant spiritual impact in our lives. And so I want you to consider that as we move into some of the ways that we handle that. In Ephesians, chapter 4, it gives us some ways that we can try to master anger. God gives us a passage about anger itself and he teaches us about ways that we can deal with it. In Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 31 and 32, it says this Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God and Christ forgave you. Okay, so you see this tree here and it's got each one of these things. We'll talk a little bit more about that, but I want you to consider anger in and of itself.
Speaker 1:So now this passage in Ephesians, chapter 4, it's a powerful blueprint, very honestly, of how we can handle our anger and our bitterness in our lives. And so what it does, or Paul in this passage, is using the imagery of putting off and then putting on. It's almost like I'm going to take off this sweater and put something else on. You put off something, a certain behavior, a sinful behavior, and then you put on something that is more righteous and godly. And so he also says there's a third component, you know, put off, put on. And then he also says you have to renew your mind. You have to change your mind, and so what Paul is giving us is specifics about how we can remove sinful anger from our lives and what we need to replace it with. We'll start with what we need to put off, and you'll see.
Speaker 1:He has anger, he has wrath, he has malice, he has slander, he has clamor, he has bitterness, and so what he's saying is that we have to put off these harmful attitudes. So, as you think about that list, as you see that list here, I want you to think about your own heart and your own life. See, bitterness is often a root of the deep anger that is within our own hearts, and it grows into other destructive behaviors. Now he says anger and wrath. Now, anger that is left untracked leads to wrath. It's a deep, it's a consuming desire for revenge or a desire to hurt others. And then he talks about malice here. Now, malice is the intent to harm someone, either physically, emotionally or spiritually. He talks slander here, and slander or clamor involves speaking ill of other people.
Speaker 1:What Paul is saying is that we need to deliberately rid ourselves of these kind of attitudes, because they only serve to tear other people down and they ultimately hinder our relation with God, and that's why we have a picture of a tree here. We need to prune a tree. It's like cutting away things, the harmful branches that are here that bear bad fruit. Now I want you to think about if those are the things that we need to put off, what do we need to put on? Because the passage gave us the negatives, the things that we need to remove, but then it tells us things that we need to be there kindness and tenderness and forgiving one another. See, paul doesn't just stop at the wrong things. What he does is he replaces them. He asks us to replace them with godly ones Instead of bitterness. He calls us to put on kindness, and putting on kindness is reflecting the grace of God, his generosity, and when we do that, we respond in kindness rather than anger, and by doing that we are modeling the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He says put on tenderheartedness. That means a compassion for other people, it's a sensitivity to their struggles and their needs, it's treating them gently. And then he says, of course, forgiveness. And forgiveness is really the heart of the Christian life. When we forgive, we are called to forgive, as Christ has forgiven us, and the ultimate way to uproot any bitterness in our lives is to reflect on the fact that God didn't hold bitterness against you and me. He actually forgave us, he reconciled us, he brought us into a relationship with him.
Speaker 1:In the passage in Matthew 18, it talks about this man who has been forgiven this immense debt and now he's going out and getting angry at somebody that owes him a small debt he could never pay. The first guy could never have paid off the king for what he had done. This other egg could actually repay him, but now he's getting so angry he misses the fact that he has received God's amazing grace, the king's amazing grace, and so what we're called to do is to magnify what God has done for you and for me in the gospel that he has forgiven us all our sins, he has set us free, he has given us a family, he's given us a future, he has given us free, he has given us a family, he's given us a future. He has given us all of that, and that is the key to transformation, and when we start to see that we need to stop just being angry, we need to actively pursue the characteristics that reflect Christ, and as we pursue those characteristics that reflect God's love and God's grace and God's mercy. That will help our interactions with others. And we need to be proactive rather than reactive. We need to be doing this in such a way that is going to magnify God in all that we do, and when we do that, we put off one thing and we put on another thing and our minds are renewed in the character work of Christ. I want you to think about the peace that God has given you. I want you to think about reconciliation that he has granted you in the personal work of Christ.
Speaker 1:I want you to think about some passages of scripture here from Proverbs. You can take a screenshot of this or come back to this later, because these are great passages that will speak to how we need to deal with anger and forgiveness in our lives and magnify those in God-honoring ways. In Proverbs, chapter 12, verse 18, it talks to us about the power of the words. It tells us that when one's harsh words are like sword thrust but the tongue of the wise will bring healing, and so what it's saying in essence is that our words can be a weapon or it can be a tool for healing. Angry and hasty words often inflict deep wounds on others. But when we speak words of wisdom, words that were self-controlled, those can bring peace and reconciliation and restoration in life. I want you to think about how quickly a situation can escalate outside and go haywire just because you have said something really hurtful or somebody has said hurtful to you. We can diffuse angry situations oftentimes with gentle speech.
Speaker 1:In Proverbs, chapter 14, verses 16 through 17,. It talks about the folly of quick anger and the passage actually says something to this effect. It says a wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless and shuns evil, but a fool is hothead and reckless. And so what happens is that when we act out in our quick anger, what it does is it leads to foolishness, it leads to reckless behavior. The passage then goes on to talk about being slow to anger, and James picked up that same passage in James, chapter one. Slow to anger, bounding and steadfast love these are important and when you stop to think before you react, you are wise. When you allow your emotions to drive your actions, you're foolish and you'll regret it and it will lead to destructive actions.
Speaker 1:The passage in proverbs 14, verse 29, talks about patience versus pride and it basically tells us that whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, which is so important. He who is hasty in temper exalts folly. And so, once again, patience and understanding go hand in hand. When you take your time and you seek to understand others, when you're slow to anger, what you're going to do is you're going to demonstrate maturity in your life, you're going to demonstrate wisdom in your life. But if you're quick and lashing out, what it does is, it reveals pride, it reveals a lack of self-control and it often leads to embarrassing and even hurtful consequences.
Speaker 1:In Proverbs 15, verse 1, it talks about the power of a gentle answer. It says a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger, and so this verse shows us how crucial it is to respond in a way that diffuses anger. Or we can respond in a way that will escalate our anger, and when we respond in a gentle way, what happens is that we will see that our gentle answer will calm things down. But when we respond in harshness, it makes things worse, and gentleness, when paired with truth, can be a powerful tool to de-escalate a situation and de-escalate a conflict. In Proverbs 29, verse 11, it says this a fool gives full weight to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. See, what a fool does is allows their emotions to control them and venting them without restraint. But wisdom shows itself in the ability to hold back, to remain calm, to remain composed, even when provoked, even when people are pushing your buttons. What you'll see is that you'll be able to control yourself. And it's not really about suppressing your emotions, it's actually channeling those emotions in a constructive way. A couple more passages In proverbs, chapter 30, chapter 16, verse 32, it says this better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city.
Speaker 1:And so what he's saying is this it's exalting and elevating that patience and self-control above physical strength and military success. And what it's saying is it takes more strength, very honestly, to control your temper than it will to conquer a city. You could do that, but to master your emotions, to have victory over your emotions, is one of the greatest victories that we can achieve. In Proverbs, chapter 22, verses 4-5, it tells us about avoiding our anger. It says Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person and do not associate with those easily angered. You may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. So the warning is about those people that influence you, and I often find that people that are angry tend to hang around with other angry people.
Speaker 1:Paul said that bad company corrupts good morals. So if you're surrounding yourself with people who are quick to anger, they're likely to influence you and you're likely to adopt their behaviors, and that is really bad. So it's important to be mindful of the company that you keep. It's really important to remember that anger is oftentimes contagious. We've seen that with the mobs and the crowds that have happened. You get an angry person and get other angry people together, and what it leads to is this contagion and it leads to destructive practices.
Speaker 1:Well, my last passage I want you to consider is from Proverbs 19, verse 9. It says this a man of great wrath will pay the penalty. Wow, and it says and if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again. And so the passage was saying is this that unchecked anger will lead to negative consequences. And if somebody is constantly finding themselves getting angry, and what will happen is that if they're not facing the repercussions of their anger and every time you're getting them, you're enabling them, you're enabling them, you're excusing their behavior. It doesn't solve the issue. It doesn't get to the heart of the issue, because they're constantly being told that their anger is happening because of things that are happening around them and you're trying to fix those things by doing that, you're just going to have to continue to rescue them over and over again. It doesn't address the root cause of their anger. What it does is it just exposes a problem.
Speaker 1:So these Proverbs give us a roadmap for managing our anger in a way that honors God and it benefits others. And we see that anger is there and when it's left unchecked it can lead to great destruction. But when we allow God's wisdom, we can control it. We can bring peace in our lives. It can actually heal our relationships in amazing ways. So I want to just talk to you before we close about some practical strategies. So how do we take what we've talked about and how do we now take this biblical teaching and try to apply it in our lives? So let's try to get practical and let's try to deal with it in our daily lives before we go. We want to try to apply the wisdom.
Speaker 1:Once again, I've talked to you about information and transformation. We want to see the transformative work. So let's look at a series of examples and strategies that you can do. The first one here you'll see, is to repent of the evil desires behind your anger. I want you to know that the first step to addressing anger is to get to the root cause of your anger and, as we've already said, that anger sometimes comes from evil desires like selfishness or pride or a sense of entitlement. And what we need to do is to repent. And when the Bible talks about repent, it means to turn away from those desires and it means to turn back to God. It's asking him for forgiveness and asking him to not only reveal what's happening underneath the surface, but asking him to help you to change. So I ask yourself, what is fueling your anger? What are the desires that are happening? For control, maybe it's for respect, maybe it's for comfort. Whatever it is, I want you to repent before God and I want you to remind yourself that his grace is available to forgive and enable you to overcome this. Well, number two, I want you to understand that it's your own responsibility for your anger. You see, it's easy to blame everyone else for your anger, somebody else's actions or somebody else's words or some circumstance, but God calls us to take full responsibility for our responses, and it's important to admit that when our anger is sinful, both before God and before humanity, and when we do that, we're recognizing and owning this.
Speaker 1:One of my professors in my doctoral program wrote a book Leaving Yesterday Behind, and he says I want you to take ownership, take aim and take action. Those were the three points in his book, and that first point of taking ownership is so important because what he wants you to do is you need to take responsibility. You got to stop casting one finger out, one finger out. Three fingers point back.
Speaker 1:This step is a step of humility, and what it does is it helps you to realize that, even if you're feeling angry, you need to take some time to pause. You need to reflect. Am I responsible for how I'm reacting? I absolutely am, and you need to confess your anger to God and, if necessary, you need to go to the other person that you've wronged in your anger and ask for their forgiveness as well. The third thing I want you to think about is you need to confess and renounce your anger.
Speaker 1:This step involves confessing and bringing your anger to light. It means to confess means to agree with God. You agree with God and you share that with him. You agree with this is wrong and you share with others. And by acknowledging your sin before others, what you're doing is you're inviting accountability, you're inviting the healing process. It's not a sign of weakness A lot of times we think that but it's actually a sign of spiritual maturity and strength. And, as you confess, what you're going to be doing is renouncing your angry behavior. Your renouncing means to turn away. It means to make a conscious decision not to continue in this behavior anymore. You're not relying on your own strength primarily, you're relying on God's strength to help you, and it's a process of holding out your anger and saying God, I need your help and, god, I need you to help me to produce patience and kindness and goodness and peace in our lives.
Speaker 1:Well, I want you to consider these last steps as well before we close. I need you to believe anew that God can do a work in your heart and life, and this is so important as well because we have a tendency to think that we can't change. See, at the heart of overcoming anger is the gospel. It's believing that Christ, that he can have the power to forgive you, but it's also the power to set you free, the power to transform you. And when we come to Christ, we're not left alone in our anger. We have access to his grace, his strength, his peace, and this is a call to trust in Christ daily. And when we do that, we'll realize that anger sometimes arises. But remind yourself of 2 Corinthians 5, 17.
Speaker 1:Number five I want you to commit yourself to concrete Christ-like actions. The next step is not just about going vertical. It's now you have to do the right thing, stop the angry behavior, but you need to actively replace it with Christ, christlike actions, and this means that you need to be intentional in your situation. The Bible calls you to speak kindly. It tells you to be patient. It tells you to extend grace. I want you to consider specific ways that you can deal with anger and commit to responding with patience and gentleness and self-control. All those are the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians, chapter 5. Set goals that will help you to respond to situations that trigger your anger.
Speaker 1:Number six I want you to establish and carry out a workable temptation plan. One of the things that we help you work on if you're part of our membership or our group coaching program, is this temptation strategy, this evacuation strategy. We want you to identify the struggles that you're having, the temptations that you have Now. When anger strikes, it strikes when we're least prepared for it, so that's why it's important to really have a plan to deal with it. A temptation plan helps you to establish healthy boundaries. It gives you spiritual safeguards to avoid falling into sinful anger. And it's so important to take time to put down some practical strategies into a plan. Sometimes it's a timeout, sometimes it's rising early, sometimes it's praying, sometimes it's memorizing scripture, sometimes it's calling an accountability person. There are a number of different strategies that you may need to use.
Speaker 1:And then, finally, number seven you need to study scripture. You need to have an ongoing study of God's word, an ongoing study of God's wisdom, his correction, his encouragement for you. God has given you his word. He says in 2 Timothy, chapter 3, that all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and change in righteousness, that the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. You need to make it a habit to meditate on God's word. You need to read it, you need to study it. You need to use resources like Bible studies, sermons. I probably listen to one or two sermons every single day Christian books like this one that we're studying. The more you saturate your mind with the insights of God's truth, the more it will equip you to respond in ways that will honor Christ. That will honor Christ Well. Once again.
Speaker 1:I thank you so much for being with us today. I hope that this has been helpful to you. The strategies that we talked about today are just all part of a long journey, a lifelong journey of becoming more and more like Christ, and as we lean into it, I hope that you will see progress. If you want to learn more about us, please go to our website, jameslongjrorg, and there you'll find some great resources that can help you. You could also join our Lessons for Life, monthly membership or a group coaching program. There you'll find powerful coaching videos, a supportive community and step-by-step guidance for lasting transformation. So I want you to remember that true change is possible when you walk in God's grace and for his glory.
Speaker 1:Until next time, may you have peace, hope and joy in Christ alone.
Speaker 1:Let me pray for you as we close. So, father, thank you. Thank you that you revealed the yuck that's within us, but I thank you for the fact that you're not just revealing the sin and the evil that's within us. You're pointing us to the fact that that is forgiven in Christ and that we could be set free in Christ. Help us to be amazed that we're still part of your family. Help us to be amazed at the fact that we have a future, a future where there will be no more sin, no more struggles, no more pain when we see you face to face. Until that time, father, give us the power and the grace to respond in ways that are going to honor and reflect you. We praise you for all that you do In Jesus' matchless name, holy name. We pray Amen. Well, thank you again for being with us. I pray that next week you will be with us as we pick up chapter six in our Lunch and Learn series on uprooting anger. All right, be blessed everyone. Take care.
