HE MAKES ME SO MAD

Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper... Psalms 37:8 (NLT)

      It was Friday afternoon and Stella was fit to be tied. “I Am Going To Kill Him. I Am Going To Kill Him. I Am Going To Kill Him.” she said as she frantically searched the house.

“MOM! MOM!” she would yell out as she tossed things to and fro. “MOM! MOM! Where are you?” she kept yelling not knowing her Mom had walked up behind her to see what was wrong.

     What happened next was almost hilarious. As Martha started telling Stella she could stop yelling because she was right behind her, Stella jumped and let out a loud scream which in turn startled her mom who than jumped and let out a scram of her own. As their heart beats settled down, Stella looked her mom in the eye and said “I am going to kill him for what he did.” “Who?” Martha wanted to know. “That no good, rotten, brat that you call my brother, that’s who.” Stella huffed.

     Before Martha could find out what was truly going on, there was a knock at the door. It was John McDonald and he was looking for Harold as well. “What do you need Harold for?” Martha asked as she let him in. “I’d like to wring his neck for what he did..” John puffed as he walked in. “You’re going yo have to wait your turn.” Stella quickly told him.

     Barney was the next to arrive. “Have you seen Harold?” he asked as he walked in the door. “Not you too.” Martha exclaimed “What do you mean, “You too?” Barney asked “If you want to kill him...” Stella answered, “Or wring his neck...” John continued, “You’ll have to wait in line.” Martha finished. “No!” Barney growled, “ I just want to send him to the moon so I’ll never see him again.”

     “Alright everybody, what’s going on?” Martha asked with a commanding voice, to which everyone replied in unison, “It’s Harold! He makes me so mad I, I, I, I” but Martha never let them finish. “Well, he’s not here.” she told them, “He’s at space camp and has been all week.

     After a few minutes of silence Stella piped up, “I thought he was just hiding from me. Does that mean he didn’t do it - take my dolls and tie firecrackers to them?” “You sold them at the garage sale last week.” Martha reminded her, “Oops, I did didn’t I.” Stella sheepishly replied. “He probably didn’t knock down my tree fort either than.” Barney thought out load. “I saw that come down in the wind storm a couple of days ago” John replied, “The same time a tree came down - on - my - tractor - oops.”

     As everyone stood quietly looking at their feet wishing they had kept their mouths shut, Martha turned and picked up a load of laundry. “Why are there holes in all those shirts?” Barney asked as he looked up.” When Martha saw the holes, she had but one things to say “H A R O L D !!”

     America is becoming a nation of angry, short-tempered people. From road rage to airplane rage, grocery store rage, and violence at youth sports events, the media has been reporting these emotional outbursts with unprecedented frequency. More than three-fourths of Americans believe angry behavior has increased in places like airports and highways, according to a recent USA Today CNN/Gallup Poll C. Leslie Charles, author of Why Is Everyone So Cranky? writes: I'm describing a fuming, unrelenting, sense of anger, hostility, and alienation that simmers for months, even years, without relief. Eventually, all it takes is a triggering incident, usually minor, for the hostile person to go ballistic.James Garbarino, human development professor at Cornell University, reports a major social shift: There is a general breakdown of social conventions, of manners, of social controls. This gives a validation, a permission, to be aggressive. (Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion)

     Oxford defines anger as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Webster adds that it is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance. As one of the seven deadly sins, I would question if it belongs for if anger is an actual sin than Jesus himself was a sinner. I don’t believe that anger in and of itself is sin but uncontrolled can be deadly.

     How bad can Anger be?

• Anger makes one weak - Proverbs 16:32 - He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city. (NAS)
• Anger makes one foolish
  • Proverbs 14:17a - Short-tempered people do foolish things, (NLT)
  • Ecclesiastes 7:9 - Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools. (HCSB)
• Anger makes one sad - Genesis 4:6-7 - The Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you must rule over it.“ (NCV)
• Anger leads to unrighteousness - James 1:20 - Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. (NLT)
• Anger stirs up conflict - Proverbs 29:22 - An angry man stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered man increases rebellion. (HCSB)
• Anger leads to trouble - Psalms 37:8 - Don’t get angry. Don’t be upset; it only leads to trouble. (NCV)

     As you can see anger has the potential to wreak havoc in ones life. Since we all tend to get angry from time to time let's head the apostles advice Ephesians 4:26-27 - If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Don't give the Devil a chance. (TEV)

     Here's something to ponder

• Do you control your anger or does it control you?
• Do you need to make right wrongs caused by your anger?