Nougat 9

Hi dear

Anger is a real problem in our society today. Some warranted. Some not.

Many of us have anger management problems. We do. Perhaps not to the extent, rather the extreme of murder, but it’s there. Probably hidden, but there and dangerous nevertheless. The truth is, anger can get out of hand. Just ask Cain – it began as sibling rivalry, and shortly after, Abel was dead. Or Moses, who in the name of justice killed an abusive slaver. Or Saul in his pre-Paul years, when he routinely killed Jews of ‘the Way’ for being untrue to the faith.

We also have irrational anger moments – those moments after someone has wronged or frustrated us and we start plotting their demise. And boom, the next time they even look at us cross-eyed, they get it – all of our anger. Or, worse yet, we transform into snapping turtles and those in our vicinity are obliged to get protective gear. Or we might be the spouse who takes it one step further and targets the other spouse (and children) emotionally, verbally and/or physically.

But most of us don’t broadcast our anger issues to the world right; we keep it at home. And in any case we never cross the line to actually commit murder, so it’s all good right? Erm; no. It isn’t all good. Not at all. You see, today’s Holy Nougat says otherwise.

“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘ Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Matthew 5:22 NIV

An Asian mystic Lao Tzu once said –

Watch your thoughts, they become your words

Watch your words, they become your actions

Watch your actions, they become your habits

Watch your habits, they become your character

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny

He might have been listening to Jesus, for it’s exactly what Jesus warned us against in the nougat. Anger also begins in our minds.

I have struggled with anger, a fiery temper in fact, for most of my life. And so, this text has nagged at me from time to time. I also rationalized that I never got angry to the point of murder – but I got to trembling (a sure sign of an anger eruption), to crying (being frustrated I couldn’t do what I truly wished), and even to silence (that’s when wisdom said walk away – in fact hit the ground running – for God would not have any part of my response. Anything, including words, could be a weapon of human destruction).

And that’s the challenge. We don’t always know when to stop. In anger, we forget that we are Not the Giver of life; so it’s not ours to take. We don’t get permission to take Life from another in any form. Not with angry or misplaced defamation of another’s character – be it intentional or not; not with a caustic comment, that sometimes causes more harm than we intended. And definitely Not by taking their breath away.

For it is God Who gives us breath. Pneuma.

Spirit. God’s Spirit.

Life.

We don’t get to randomly take it away from others. Even when they did it first. Not even with our thoughts.

But we can counteract the temptation to yield to anger. We can ask others to hold us accountable. We can get counseling to get to the root of our anger. We can ask God to help us channel our anger in positive ways (remember – ‘be angry and do not sin’ Ephesians 4:26). And in the interim; allow God’s Spirit to fill our spirits that we might truly live.

Breathe.

In Christ’s love and grace . . .