Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain your are given and the pain you are giving back; in many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you. FREDERICK BEUCHNER
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy man be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. JOHN 15:10-12 NASB
This morning I had a love feast in reading the fifteenth through seventeenth chapters of the Book of John. And then in looking for a thought to use to start this small page I came across the one by Beuchner about anger. The scales of reality got balanced out in the process. Wouldnt it be wonderful if everyone went around loving each other, thinking of others first, and in general just doing good for each other. But thats just not the way it is. It seems that we cant get away from experiencing some form of anger every now and then, and the worst kind of anger is when it comes from within ourselves. Ever since I became involved in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous I have come to the conclusion that anger is a luxury that some may be able to enjoy, but for us alcoholics it could mean a trip back into active addiction and the end result is death. I cant afford anger in my life, and I find it impossible not to have some anger from time to time, so what do I do? First of all I am learning to fix the problem as soon as possible. If I get angry for more than ten minutes, I better start looking inside and find a way to resolve the anger. Regardless of the wrong that has been done to me, forgiveness will resolve the anger. It is only when I enjoy the anger and want to hold on to some resentment that I cross over into the danger zone of anger. I am learning to use the tools that Jesus gave us, which are the ones He used Himself, love and forgiveness. May I continue to learn. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
MARK 11:25 NASB
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If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but fro alcoholics these things are poison. Alcoholics Anonymous, page 66
..harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit. BILL W.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Fathers commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy man be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. JOHN 15:10-12 NASB
This morning I had a love feast in reading the fifteenth through seventeenth chapters of the Book of John. And then in looking for a thought to use to start this small page I came across the one by Beuchner about anger. The scales of reality got balanced out in the process. Wouldnt it be wonderful if everyone went around loving each other, thinking of others first, and in general just doing good for each other. But thats just not the way it is. It seems that we cant get away from experiencing some form of anger every now and then, and the worst kind of anger is when it comes from within ourselves. Ever since I became involved in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous I have come to the conclusion that anger is a luxury that some may be able to enjoy, but for us alcoholics it could mean a trip back into active addiction and the end result is death. I cant afford anger in my life, and I find it impossible not to have some anger from time to time, so what do I do? First of all I am learning to fix the problem as soon as possible. If I get angry for more than ten minutes, I better start looking inside and find a way to resolve the anger. Regardless of the wrong that has been done to me, forgiveness will resolve the anger. It is only when I enjoy the anger and want to hold on to some resentment that I cross over into the danger zone of anger. I am learning to use the tools that Jesus gave us, which are the ones He used Himself, love and forgiveness. May I continue to learn. God is doing for me what I could not do for myself ..JRE
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.
MARK 11:25 NASB
********************
If we were to live, we had to be free of anger. The grouch and the brainstorm were not for us. They may be the dubious luxury of normal men, but fro alcoholics these things are poison. Alcoholics Anonymous, page 66
..harboring resentment is infinitely grave. For then we shut ourselves off from the sunlight of the spirit. BILL W.
