I've been stuck in a whirlwind of somber reflection for a bit... I woke up this morning and came across a series of videos and found a great video about anger.

(Click here for the video)

As (broken) men, imperfect disciples, we are prone to anger because:

But the Bible tells us that it's ok to get angry, but that it can easily lead to sin. Although we have permission, anger must be kept on a short leash.

As seasoned disciples, this is nothing new. It's ok to become angry at injustice - when our car gets stolen, hurts our loved ones, or pervert justice. Anger can also be that "flashing warning light" in our lives. We all get angry - it's an emotion that God created, so it has a righteous goal. But a "burning" type of anger, or prolonged anger, is something that causes our lives to be out of balance.

This sense of threat, real or imagined, usually comes from a perception of oppression, humiliation, injustice, physical danger or just a lack of control over our environment and circumstances.

Guilt is another possible source of our anger. Think about the time we did something and we live under the cloud that God/the law/the IRS is about to get us. That lack of control over those circumstances can make us angry.

Anger is something that we've always struggled with, and will continue to struggle with. But left unchecked, it can turn ugly. Cain's anger led him to murder his brother. (serious extreme, but that's how important our control over our anger must be) So let's step away from the psychotherapeutic/contemporary viewpoint over anger, and get God's view.

James tells us that we can become angry... It's a part of who we are. But he does tell us to not become quick-tempered. Re-read Ephesians 4:26 at the top. Paul's approach to anger was like James' - realistic. You can be angry, but don't let it carry you into sin (picture that phrase - "carry you into sin") All throughout the Bible, it basically tells us to lead a balanced life (and that includes our anger).

The struggle that we face isn't with "anger" - it's with it's level of control over us. Being slow to anger is a mark of strength, mastery, and leadership. Self control (ruling your spirit) brings more leadership and success than being able to capture a city.

When anger hits, we need to accept it, repent of it, and walk away from it. Definitely look into the "why's" about your anger, and you will find that most of these issues that incite our anger, can be resolved through forgiveness.