How to Handle Your Anger

My S.O.A.P. time was great today and thought I'd share some thoughts from Proverbs.

   Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.  Proverbs 29:11


This is some pretty strong language about how we handle things that frustrate and anger us.  We all have to deal with this issue.  Jesus tells us to be angry but don't sin, so we know that having anger is a valid, normal emotion.  Dealing with our anger is where our challenge to live lies.

Fools vent....

Venting is becoming a modern day pastime, road rage, telling people off, a good cussing.  We foolishly buy into the fact that if we could just vent the anger we feel inside that it will make the situation better.  Truth is that venting is one of the more destructive behaviors that you can engage in.  Venting ruins relationships and all of our life is built around relationships.   I've known people who vented at work and had to find another job, vented at home and damaged parent/child relationships, vented in public and had to answer for it legally.  The lie is that venting will make you feel better.  Venting just gets all those unhealthy, mostly wrong ideas into the open for everyone to see how out of touch with reality we are.

The wise quietly hold them back


The wise man is allowing the Spirit of God to develop the fruit of self-control in his life.  The wise man understands that just because you are feeling something doesn't mean that's the way it really is going.  There is something strong about a woman who can keep quiet in times when you feel like venting.  There is something powerful about a woman who can hold back her feelings and instead trust God with every situation.  Wise people keep their marriages, keep their kids, keep their jobs, keep their friends because they don't give in to the urge to blurt out everything they are feeling in the moment.

What to do?

When you are experiencing overwhelming emotions of anger you need to understand that God still expects you to be in control of your life and your tongue.  If you can, get to a quiet place where you can pour out your heart to God.  It's much better to tell God in prayer than to tell people in the heat of the moment.  I love that the psalms is full of real people pouring out real emotion to the Lord.  Let God deal with people, and if necessary, let Him deal with you.  Chances are that He is working in you to perform His will and plan for your life.  Remember, what you feel is not necessarily real.  What is real is God's word.  I have often found that my emotions have betrayed me as I believed things that I later found out were not true.  Stand on His Word, control your anger and watch God bless your life.

It Was My Turn, So I Did It

Yesterday was my day off and I had a busy day.  I got up and S.O.A.P.ed then I went to the gym to get a workout, then Vanessa and I took her dad to lunch at the Kemper Williams Golf Course in Patterson, LA.  After getting home about the time the kids got out of school, I decided to cut the grass at the entrance to my subdivision.  It was my turn.  See, we have no schedule, no committee to oversee this, we just take turns.  It's subdivision property and no one owns it.  It was my turn.  The last few times it's been cut, I didn't do it because I'd cut the grass my fair share of times.  But yesterday, I felt like it was my turn.  So I did it because it was my turn.  What needs attention in your life, house, work, or subdivision that is your turn.  No one is going to make you, but it just needs to be done.  What if everyone just took their turn think of how much stuff would get done and it wouldn't be a burden to just a few people.  Is it your turn to make coffee? bring the donuts? pick up the tab for lunch? wash the dishes? pick up the clothes? whatever it is, take your turn.  You will encourage someone today and will make a difference in someone's life at work, home or play.  Take your turn, don't have to be asked, don't have to be told, just see what needs to be done and do it.  I believe one of the best leadership practices is just to take your turn and do something that needs doing.  It's your turn now.

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Influencing people for Jesus

1. Ignore Jesus command to take a long hard look at the “fields” from John 4:35. 

• ·      Just stop, listen and look at what is happening in the lives of people today.
• ·      Brokenness, sickness, dysfunction, depression.
• ·      You have to look to really get His Book.

2. Focus on the same things that everyone else is focusing on.

• ·      Bigger car, house, 401K, job promotion.

3. Marry someone who only cares about himself or herself.

• ·      They think the Great Commission is your % after a big sale.
• ·      Have the perfect family, chase the perfect dream.

4. Stay away from really authentic Christians who are influential.

• ·      Their stories will distract you from chasing the American dream.

5. Focus on the “impossible” people who don’t want to hear

    about Jesus, you know, the vocal 2-5% who wouldn’t

     listen to Jesus Himself.

• ·      Forget about the multitude that will respond to love and an authentic life.

 6. Spend all your empty time obsessing over your faults and all the wrong things you’ve even done.

• ·      You know that everyone in the Bible was perfect, right?

7. Put “real” Christians on a pedestal, believing that they possess some magic gene that you just don’t have.

• ·      God could never use “ordinary people”. Could He?

8. Let people tell you that you are “indispensable” right where you are now.

• ·      We could never make it without you doing what you are doing right now.

9.  Worry about what you will say or do when the moment comes.

• ·      God could never give you a dynamic thought, could He?

10.  Go do life by yourself and without any training.

•      You will flame out and be home in time to catch the 6 pm news.

·      I knew it wouldn’t work.