“Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God’s sovereignty in your life. When you believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who belong to Him and love Him, you can respond to trials with joy instead of anger or bitterness.” ~ John C. Boger                      
“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.” Proverbs 14:29 (NAS)
At some point, everyone loses his or her temper. For each of us there is a different trigger and reason for loosing control. The book of Proverbs calls a man who looses his temper a fool. Wisdom and patience is the key to battling your issues with anger.
We often loose our self-control; a Fruit of the Spirit, when something we want is delayed. There is the old saying, “Good things are worth waiting for,” but there are also many Bible verses that mention patience and waiting as well.
Numbers 14:18 tells us that God is “slow to anger and abounding in love.” We are to take God’s traits and strive to be imitators of Christ. If God is slow to anger then we should try to do the same. This requires righteous living so that the Fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives.
Both patience and self-control are listed in Galatians 5:22-23 as components of the Fruit of the Spirit. They help to keep anger issues in check. The trick is to live a righteous life so that these virtues are evident and manifest themselves in our every day living.
Our own selfish desires can also provoke us to anger. We quarrel with others when we don’t get what we want. We put our expectations onto others and forget to consider whether what we want is also best for them. Adults throw ugly temper tantrums without the excuse of being a toddler and it is very unpleasant to behold.
Stress can also trigger anger. We lash out and say things we later regret, which only complicates a problem even further. This is foolish and probably why the Bible includes more than one proverbs warning to keep watch over our tongue and fury. Nobody wants to be considered a fool. Nobody wants to be a fool. Heeding the wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs will allow us to be a better witness of God’s love.
ARE YOU LOOSING YOUR TEMPER AS OF LATE? DO YOU KNOW THE CAUSE? PRAY ABOUT IT AND ASK GOD TO CULTIVATE THE VIRTUE OF SELF-CONTROL.
“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:23 (NKJV)
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?“ James 4:1 (NKJV)
“So then,my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” James 1:19-20 (NKJV)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NAS)
This devotion is in my upcoming book FACING ADVERSITY: THOUGHTS OF WISDOM, PRAISE, AND PROMISE  Look for it on Amazon this December and find my other 3 books at this site   http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Cheryl%20Zelenka&sprefix=Chery%2Caps