All the Feelsਨਮੂਨਾ

Anger: the flaming hot emotion that causes temper tantrums, arguments, and frustration. But did you know that anger isn’t always a bad thing? It’s true- anger doesn’t have to lead to only negative actions. There’s a story in the Bible when Jesus got angry (check it out in John 2:13-22!) Anger can lead to sin if we’re not careful, but it doesn’t have to. If we let Him, God can use our anger to drive us to fight for justice, peace, and equality. Anger leads to action, but it’s up to us to decide whether that action will be good or bad. The way that we reign in our anger is by taking time to pause and use self-control. James, one of Jesus’ brothers and followers, tells us to “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” How much better would it be for us and everyone around us if we chose to listen before we spoke and slow down when we’re angry instead of letting our anger control us? We have the power of God’s spirit inside of us to help us make the right choice, but the decision is ours to choose! Will you choose anger or self-control?

Challenge: Today, memorize James 1:19! When you feel angry this week, repeat the verse to yourself as a reminder to slow down in the face of anger before acting!