September 29, 2015

Can Anger Help You Get Closer to God?

Written by Shana Schutte

Can Anger Help You Get Closer to God 9.29

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 29, 2015

Guest Writer: Meet my friend Shana Schutte. We are blessed to have her as our guest writer.

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24

In one of my former jobs I hung a poster outside my cubicle showing Lucy from “Peanuts” screaming, “Look out, everybody! I’m gonna be cranky for the rest of the day!” Lucy’s announcement became a joke with my coworkers, because she’s so not like me. I don’t usually show anger. In my youth I learned that anger was unacceptable, possibly because I often saw it misused. When I came to Christ, this faulty message was reinforced in church. After all, good Christian boys and girls never get angry, right? Wrong. Not only is this teaching wrong, but God expects that we’ll experience anger. Jesus never said, “Don’t get angry,” but rather Paul instructs us to “Be angry, and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26, NKJV).

In this scripture He acknowledged that people would get angry. Why? Because anger is a secondary response to emotional pain. No doubt there’s a lot of emotional pain to go around on this sin-filled planet. Anger will happen! Anger is a red light on the dashboard of a car signaling that something’s wrong under the hood—there’s a hurt we need to give to God, or forgiveness we need to grant someone. Anger also has the potential to take us to places of deeper intimacy with Christ when we bring our disappointments to Him for healing.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

How can you do this? Yell or scream when no one is around, or run outside and holler. Clobber your pillow. You can also do what author Muriel Cook calls “hot pen journaling.” Write down your true emotions without sweetening them. Be real. Tell God the truth. Then ask Him to show you what’s fueling your anger so He can minister to your pain through prayer and His Word. Conversing with God about your anger thwarts Satan’s plan to destroy your affection for Christ, because it keeps communication open with Christ.

For some people, being real with God about their anger may sound sacrilegious. After all, aren’t most people composed and postured, even when the world and the devil walk all over them? The psalmists, inspired by the Holy Spirit, were honest with God about their rawest emotions—including anger. To cry out in anger and anguish because life hurts is normal.

I’m not saying it’s okay to mock God or treat Him with irreverence. Certainly there’s a difference between taking your anger to God for healing and aiming your anger at God in defiance and rage. Taking your anger to God in humility means you’re operating in faith, that you feel safe enough to trust Him with your most uncomfortable and ugly emotions, and to approach His throne of grace with confidence to find mercy in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16). It also means you’ve opened your heart to Him in faith so He can heal you. “Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being. . .” (Psalm 51:6)

Prayer: Lord, I am so grateful that I never have to withhold my ugliest feelings from you, even my anger. Please help me take it to you instead of hurting others with it. And thank you that you always empathize with my weaknesses and what I am going through.

Related Readings: Psalm 66:18; Psalm 51:17; Psalm 34:18; Proverbs 29:11

Post/Tweet this today: You can trust God with your ugliest emotions. #WisdomHunters #It’sOKtoGetAngry

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Comments

  1. Priscilla says:

    Good morning to all at Wisdom Hunters!!
    I enjoy reading your daily inspirations and find them very helpful and uplifting. But in today’s Daily Wisdom “Can Anger Help You Get Closer To God?”, I disagreed with one small interpretation that your guest speaker made on the verse found in Ephesians 4:26 where she said that Paul instructs us to “BE angry, and do not sin”. When in fact the verse tells us “IF you are angry, do not sin” or another version I found “In your anger, do not sin”. I feel there’s a big difference in “be angry” and “if you are angry”. I don’t think Paul is instructing us in any way to be angry. As Christians, we should try our best to not become angry, but IF we do, then “do not sin”.
    Ephesians 4:31 instructs us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and ANGER, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
    Ecclesiastes 7:9 tells us “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”
    So again, I think this verse was misinterpreted by your guest speaker. But the message was great. Thank you for all you do at Wisdom Hunters!!
    God bless each and everyone of you and keep reaching out to the world!!

    Priscilla.G.

  2. Trudy says:

    To the Writer and Whom ever:

    The Lord told me this morning the battle is HIS, not mine. For the most part I was just casting my care on God, which is good! but, I gave HIM my battle and almost instantly, the Fear left! Usually, when I only cast my care the battle took longer. Praise God to be all the Glory!

    God Bless the Devotionals!

    Sincerely,

    Trudy

  3. Gwynne says:

    Dear Trudy,
    Thank you so much for sharing your story of surrendering “your battle” to God and how He freed you of the fear! HE is AMAZING! I love how you wisely gave Him not only your concern but the whole battle. Trudy, your story is a powerful reminder to all of us about not only surrendering ALL to Him but also, but being obedient in our willingness to turn it all over to Him.
    Praising our Heavenly Father right along with you, Trudy!
    Grateful for you~
    Gwynne
    “I love you, O Lord, my strength.
    The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
    my God is my rock; in whom I take refuge.
    He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
    Psalm 18: 1-2

  4. Gwynne says:

    Dear Priscilla,
    Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to us with your thought provoking comments in regards to “Can Anger Help You Get Closer to God?”
    You make a great point in your thoughts on Ephesians 4:26 and your statement “As Christians, we should try our best to not become angry. but If we do, then do not sin”.
    I think that Shana’s premise for the devotional came from the King James Version which starts out “Be ye angry….”
    She made some effective points around the verse concerning the “benefit or value” of anger. One in particular was very thought provoking:
    “Anger also has the potential to take us to places of deeper intimacy with Christ when we bring our disappointments to Him for healing”.
    Priscilla, we are so thankful for you and appreciate your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you again sometime. We are so glad you were blessed by the message and that you are enjoying the Wisdom Hunter’s devotionals. We give all the glory to God!
    Grateful~
    Gwynne
    “I will praise you, O Lord, with all of my heart;
    I will tell of all your wonders.
    I will be glad and rejoice in you;
    I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
    Psalm 9:1-2


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