Yeah, it's a tricky thing, emotions. And you're right about repression; never the way to go. That which we exile will always come back seeking revenge.
It's my personal opinion that God doesn't expect us to be calm all the time. I think rather that we have a responsibility to understand ourselves, acknowledge the dusty rooms we pretend aren't there and by letting in the sunlight every now and again, we can then keep the whole house in order. The calmness, then, comes from bottom-up understanding and self-maintenance, not a top-down mandate we try to impose.
Thanks for this Nick, a good exploration of something I also struggle with. Part of where I'm at now is realising my own hypocrisy in being able to contain my anger during social occasions but unleashing it on those closer to me when we're in private. Which means I do have the ability to control my anger, I just pick and choose when I do. Convicting yet ultimately freeing, because there is a path ahead with the help of God.
My first thought: "Be angry, and do not sin" (Eph 4:26).
My second thought - can I google another Bible verse about anger?
I came up with this, which I actually really like:
"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Prof 16:32)
There's something really interesting there.
"Slow to anger" is a description often applied to God. So by being slow to anger, we are (by God's help) made more Christlike, more "divinized".
But also, God is often described as a warrior: "The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name." (Ex 15:3)
Contradictory? Perhaps. But it seems like the second half of this Proverb brings the two together: it's actually more noble, more reflective of true strength of spirit, to be master of oneself than to conquer a enemy stronghold. So being "slow to anger" is actually a warrior's task - but the enemy to conquer is the stronghold of our own sin.
Yes, slow to anger and rich in love, as the song recalls.
What happens in the midst of the slowing down is important I would say - that's the time for reflection on what is really at work within us. We may certainly still end up angry, but with a better understanding of why. Jesus Himself course got angry in the upcoming anniversary of the cleansing of the temple - violently so. This was not a loss of control on his part, but a considered decision.
Yeah, it's a tricky thing, emotions. And you're right about repression; never the way to go. That which we exile will always come back seeking revenge.
It's my personal opinion that God doesn't expect us to be calm all the time. I think rather that we have a responsibility to understand ourselves, acknowledge the dusty rooms we pretend aren't there and by letting in the sunlight every now and again, we can then keep the whole house in order. The calmness, then, comes from bottom-up understanding and self-maintenance, not a top-down mandate we try to impose.
I very much agree; and love the language of the spurned exile coming back for revenge. Might have to work that into something….
Thanks for this Nick, a good exploration of something I also struggle with. Part of where I'm at now is realising my own hypocrisy in being able to contain my anger during social occasions but unleashing it on those closer to me when we're in private. Which means I do have the ability to control my anger, I just pick and choose when I do. Convicting yet ultimately freeing, because there is a path ahead with the help of God.
Thank you! Yes, there is always a path ahead.
My first thought: "Be angry, and do not sin" (Eph 4:26).
My second thought - can I google another Bible verse about anger?
I came up with this, which I actually really like:
"Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty,
and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Prof 16:32)
There's something really interesting there.
"Slow to anger" is a description often applied to God. So by being slow to anger, we are (by God's help) made more Christlike, more "divinized".
But also, God is often described as a warrior: "The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name." (Ex 15:3)
Contradictory? Perhaps. But it seems like the second half of this Proverb brings the two together: it's actually more noble, more reflective of true strength of spirit, to be master of oneself than to conquer a enemy stronghold. So being "slow to anger" is actually a warrior's task - but the enemy to conquer is the stronghold of our own sin.
Yes, slow to anger and rich in love, as the song recalls.
What happens in the midst of the slowing down is important I would say - that's the time for reflection on what is really at work within us. We may certainly still end up angry, but with a better understanding of why. Jesus Himself course got angry in the upcoming anniversary of the cleansing of the temple - violently so. This was not a loss of control on his part, but a considered decision.