October 30, 2024 • 31 mins
Can concealed anger be as damaging as an angry outburst? Discover the biblical insights into managing hidden emotions effectively and learn how to replace anger with virtues like compassion and kindness. Through passages from Leviticus and Ephesians, we uncover the dangers of letting anger fester and explore the truth behind confronting emotions honestly to nurture spiritual growth and improve our connections with others.
Explore the transformative power of forgiveness in Christianity as we delve into scriptures from Ephesians, Colossians, Matthew, and Mark. God's forgiveness not only sets a standard for us but also offers profound relational and spiritual benefits. We'll discuss the pitfalls of withholding forgiveness, such as harboring bitterness and assuming the role of judge, and how embracing forgiveness aligns us with divine grace and fosters empathy and humility.
Equip yourself with practical, biblical strategies for anger management that promote peacemaking and reconciliation. Discover the importance of self-control and godly speech in conflict resolution, and the role of scriptural study and community support in transforming relationships. We conclude with a heartfelt prayer, inviting listeners to seek God's strength and guidance on their journey toward peace and understanding. Join us for a spiritually enriching episode that encourages aligning your heart with divine wisdom.
ABOUT JAMES AND LESSONS FOR LIFE
Are you longing to find answers to the deeper issues of life? Join Dr. James Long, Jr., a pastor, counselor, and university professor with over 30 years of experience. Hear James as he tackles some of life’s biggest questions and helps us find God’s solutions to life’s struggles. Learn the power of living by God’s grace and for His glory. Experience the joy of forgiveness and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone. If you are in search of freedom, you will love being part of this conversation. Subscribe, and enjoy the show!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Lesson 6 in our series,
uprooting Anger.
Now, over the past severalweeks, we've been doing a deep
dive into what the Bible teachesus about anger, and what we've
been seeing is its roots, itsconsequences and how we can
uproot anger in our lives.
We've explored how anger isn'tjust an emotion but a whole
person response, a response thatoften reveals something going
(00:22):
deeper inside of us.
Now, the last time, we talkedabout how anger reveals itself
in our behaviors and how itoften points to hard issues, a
misalignment with God's will anda failure to seek God's glory
and others' good, and we lookedat biblical strategies to
transform our sinful anger intoChrist-like responses.
Today we're going to do adeeper dive and talk about how a
(00:45):
behavior can be just asdangerous the behavior as
stuffing our anger.
Now we think of outbursts ofanger as bad, but concealing our
anger can be just as bad.
And have you ever been angryand decided to stuff it down, to
pretend that it wasn't there?
Maybe it's thought that if Iignore it it'll just go away?
Now here's the hook.
Concealed anger is like aticking time bomb.
(01:07):
It doesn't just disappear, itsimmers, it grows and eventually
it manifests itself in waysthat you might not expect Now.
Today we're going to explorewhat happens when we hide our
anger and what Scripture tellsus about this, and then the
practical steps to deal with itbiblically.
So, before we dive in, let mepray for you, father.
I want to thank you for who youare and whose we are.
(01:30):
I want to thank you for thefact that you are a loving and
gracious God.
You're also a God who has angerand wrath for sin and, Father,
I pray that you would help us totry to negotiate what it means
to be biblically righteous inour anger.
I pray today that we wouldrecognize that concealing our
anger is not biblical, it's notrighteous and it causes such
(01:53):
great problems.
So please do a work in us, lord, and please do a work through
us.
Help us to honor you andreflect you in all that we say
and all that we do.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Okay, so hopefully now you canstill hear me and let's go into
lesson number six, and lessonnumber six is so important.
One of the things that we'regoing to be doing is learning
about how we need to stopconcealing our anger, so I want
(02:17):
you to consider these passagesNow.
There are two key passages thatwe want to look at here In
Leviticus, chapter 19, verses 16through 17,.
It says you shall not go aroundas a slanderer among the people
.
You should not stand up againstthe life of your neighbor.
I am the Lord, your God.
You shall not hate your brotherin your heart and you shall
(02:37):
reason frankly with yourneighbor lest you incur sin
because of him.
You shall not take vengeance orbear a grudge against the sons
of your own people, but youshall love your neighbor as
yourself.
I am the Lord.
So now this passage.
If we think about this passagefrom Leviticus, this passage
speaks directly to the issue ofhidden anger and unresolved
(02:58):
conflict.
Now it's easy to think ofavoiding confrontation or
keeping our anger insideourselves is a better route, but
what God's word says is thatyou shall not hate your brother
in your heart, but you shallreason frankly with your
neighbor.
This is a call to confrontation, not in a way to stir up more
anger or tension, but a way toseek the truth and
(03:19):
reconciliation.
God instructs us to deal withour anger directly, with honesty
and clarity, rather thanconcealing it and allowing it to
fester in our hate into hatredor to bitterness.
And why is that?
Because when we let anger sit,it bears grudges and it becomes
like a poison in our heart andit leads to further sin.
We may not even lash outimmediately, but over time,
(03:42):
concealed anger turns intoresentment and slander and
vengeance.
And instead of festering angerin our hearts, we are called to
love others.
Remember, we're called to bepatient, we're called to be
understanding, we're called tocommit to resolving conflicts.
So I want you to remindyourself of this that hidden
anger is never harmless.
(04:03):
It is like a seed leftunchecked that will grow into
something destructive.
And God is clear unresolvedanger is a barrier not just to
our relationships with others,but also our relationship with
God.
Now, the second passage herefrom Ephesians, chapter 4,
verses 26 to 27 and verses 30through-5.2, says Be angry and
(04:27):
do not sin.
Do not let the sun go down inyour anger and give no
opportunity to the devil and donot grieve.
The Holy Spirit of God, by whomyou were sealed in the day of
redemption, let all bitternessand wrath and anger and clamor
and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Be kind to one another,tenderhearted, forgiving one
(04:50):
another, as God in Christforgave you.
Therefore, be imitators of Godas beloved children and walk in
love, as Christ loved us andgave himself up for us, a
fragrant offering and asacrifice to God.
Now that passage in Ephesians isa powerful reminder that, while
we may feel angry, we're notallowed to take root in our
hearts.
It says in your anger, do notsin.
It's okay to feel angry, butthe danger comes when we allow
(05:14):
it to linger and to simmer inour hearts.
And when we do, we're givingthe devil an opportunity to use
that anger to lead us to greatersin, bitterness, wrath or
malice.
Now what Paul also warns us isthat unresolved anger grieves
the Holy Spirit.
It hinders the spiritual growthand our ability to reflect
Christ to those around us.
Instead, we're called to putaway anger, put away bitterness
(05:38):
and malice and replace them withkindness and compassion and
forgiveness, just as God hasdone for us in Christ.
Christ has shown that to us Now.
This passage is a call to actionnot to let our anger linger in
our hearts.
Don't give it room to take rootand to grow into something
harmful.
Instead, deal with it quicklyand your hearts will be filled
with love and forgiveness thatcomes from Christ, because when
(06:00):
we walk in love, we imitateChrist, and we will find that
there is a freedom that comesfrom releasing anger and
embracing peace.
Now, these two passages give usa clear biblical framework of
how we should handle our anger.
Rather than burying it, we'recalled to address it openly and
honestly, seeking resolution andreconciliation.
Anger left to simmer will leadaway from God's will for our
(06:24):
lives, and when we choose toconfront it biblically, we walk
in freedom and grace and love.
So I want you to consider thisnext thing.
I want to give you somestrategies of how you can deal
with your anger in a godly way.
One of the first ones is this Iwant you to see that the
sinfulness and the ugliness ofbitterness of heart and
(06:45):
concealing it is so terrible,and so we need to start with
this.
I want you to see that, asconcealed anger happens in our
heart, it's not just anemotional issue, but it's a
spiritual one which is so veryhard for us to understand.
When we harbor bitterness inour heart, we're essentially
allowing idols to rule our heart, and the idols of control or
(07:06):
comfort or even revenge.
Now Robert Jones is pointing outthat, while some of us may
desire things that are not evilin and of themselves, they will
become sinful when we allow themto take over our hearts.
These desires can lead to badmasters, and they will lead us
to hide our anger rather than todeal with it directly.
We see this throughoutscripture that concealing anger
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grieves God.
It disrupts relationships andcan even cause physical harm,
and when we hide our anger,we're also usurping God's role
as judge.
So the first step is torecognize the damaging aspects
of controlled anger or concealedanger, and when we do that, it
causes issues in ourrelationship with God.
(07:49):
It causes issues with ourrelationship with others and it
will even affect ourselves.
Now, when we reflect on this, Iwant you to take time in a
journal to specifically think ofways in which concealed anger
has harmed areas of your life.
Now I want you to ask othersmaybe your spouse or close
friend for their perspective aswell, because it is so important
to be able to understand thatthis is something that is hidden
(08:12):
deep in our hearts and it canbe something that can be really
challenging.
The second point is that we needto turn to Jesus in repentance
and faith.
And we do that, we will believefully that he forgives us.
He not only fully forgives us,but he frees us.
And this practical step is soimportant because if we turn our
eyes towards Jesus in faith andbelief, he promises to forgive
(08:35):
us.
He says in 1 Corinthians thatif we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive usof our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
See, once we've recognized thesinfulness of our concealed
anger, we need to turn to Jesusand turn to him Now.
This is where transformationbegins, and this is the beauty
of the gospel that Christ diedand rose for sinners, not just
(08:56):
for those who explode in theiranger, but also for those who
clam up and hide their anger.
Christ's grace is more thansufficient to forgive you of
your bitterness and he has thepower to change your heart.
Now many people struggle withovercoming anger because they
doubt God's transformative powerand transforming grace.
But scripture tells us that hecan not only forgive us, but he
(09:17):
can also melt away bitternessand he can give us the strength
to forgive others.
He says that in Mark 11,chapter 25.
And the key is to believe thatGod's grace can both forgive you
and transform you.
Forgive your offender from theheart.
Now this leads to this soimportant place that when we've
(09:39):
seen throughout scripture thatGod's forgiveness is there, at
the very heart of the gospel.
He has forgiven you all yoursins.
Christ forgave us while we werestill sinners and now we're
called to forgive others in thesame way.
But the reality is, veryhonestly, that forgiveness is
not easy.
It's not easy and it's notquick, and we may say it this
way, I can't forgive him forwhat he's done to me and maybe
(09:59):
you've been there but I want youto know that scripture tells us
that you must forgive, andbecause we have made forgiving
far greater debt, we mustforgive people.
And when we refuse, what endsup happening is, essentially,
we're saying that we don't needGod's forgiveness at all in our
lives.
So I ask you, who are youholding a grudge against today?
What bitterness is lodged inyour heart?
(10:20):
You're called to forgive, notout of your own strength, but
out of the empowering work ofChrist in you, that God wants to
do a work in you and throughyou.
In a great passage in Matthew,chapter 6, it says forgive our
debts as we have forgiven ourdebtors, and lead us not into
temptation but deliver us fromevil.
For if you forgive others,their trespasses, your heavenly
(10:41):
Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgiveothers, their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will alsoforgive you, but if you do not
forgive others, their trespasses, neither will your heavenly
Father forgive you.
I want you to consider this Now.
What happens if I don't chooseto forget Now?
Maybe you're in that positionwhere it talked about forgiving
from the heart, but maybe you'resaying I don't know if I want
(11:01):
to forget Now.
Forgiveness is one of thehardest commands, yet it is
central to our walk with Christ.
I want to walk through and do adeep dive into why failing to
forgive will not only be arelational issue but a
profoundly spiritual one, andthis will span a few slides.
So I want you to begin with twocritical points here.
First, forgetting the size ofthe massive debt that you have
(11:25):
against god.
Now, if you remember thispassage in matthew, chapter 18,
verses 21 to 35, jesus gives aparable of the unmerciful
servant.
Now many of you are familiarwith it now.
The servant was forgiven anunimaginable debt by his master,
only to turn around and refuseforgiveness for as much smaller
debt owed to him by his friend.
(11:46):
Now, the servant's inability toforgive showed a failure to
understand and to appreciate thegrace that he had received.
Now, similarly, when we refuseto forgive, we're essentially
saying we've forgotten themassive spiritual debt that we
had against God and that he hascanceled on our behalf.
And remember from Ephesians,chapter 4, verse 32, it calls us
(12:07):
to forgive as God has forgivenus.
And Colossians, chapter 3,reminds us that we must forgive
each other as the Lord hasforgiven us.
It's essential to grasp theenormity of God's forgiveness of
us.
So now we grasp the enormity ofwhat he has done for us, and
then what we do is to offer thatsame forgiveness to other
people.
Now Jesus clearly tells us inthe Matthew passage that we read
(12:31):
earlier, that we must forgive.
He's saying if you forgiveother people, your trespasses.
You're acknowledging that Godhas forgiven you.
But if you don't forgive otherpeople, their trespasses, you're
also acknowledging that Godcan't do it.
It's about showing that we'retruly understanding and we're
(12:53):
appreciating the grace thatwe've received.
When we withhold forgiveness,we're essentially saying that we
don't recognize thesignificance of our own need.
I alluded to this passageearlier, but in Mark 11, verse
25, it reinforces this point.
Whenever you stand praying,forgive if you have anything
against anyone, so that yourheavenly Father may also forgive
(13:15):
.
You See, forgiveness is notjust about others.
It's about keeping our heartsin alignment with the grace that
we receive from God, and if weforget the depth of our own
forgiveness, it's easy to becomeprideful and judgmental and
bitter.
So I want you to consider acouple of other points that
happen when we choose not toforgive.
(13:36):
A third thing is that we'redeclaring in some way or another
that we don't need God's mercyon the day of judgment.
See, one of the most profoundissues is that we will all stand
before God and have to give anaccount, and one of these issues
of the reality in our walk withChrist is that we need his
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mercy.
We need it now, but we alsoneed it in the day of judgment.
And if we refuse to show thatto other people, when we refuse
to forgive other people, we'reessentially saying to them that
we don't need mercy ourselves.
This is a really dangerousposition to take, because
scripture is clear Blessed arethe merciful, because they shall
(14:18):
receive mercy.
In James, chapter 2, itreinforces this by saying, for
judgment without mercy is givento the one who shows no mercy.
See, mercy triumphs overjudgment.
In Micah, chapter 6, he's shownyou, oh man, what is good and
what the Lord requires of you todo what is just to love,
kindness and to walk humbly.
When we refuse to forgive,we're acting as though we're
(14:41):
above needing forgiveness, andscripture reminds us that mercy
is the very foundation of ourrelationship with God.
Another thing is that we'reassuming God's role as judge.
When we withhold forgiveness,we're effectively saying in
ourselves, to ourselves and toothers, that we have the seat of
judgment, a position thatbelongs to God solely.
In Romans 12, verse 19, it saysnever avenge yourself, but
(15:05):
leave it to the wrath of God.
I will repay.
Jesus says See the refusal toforgive.
When we're saying this, we saythat we know better than God and
how justice should beadministered, but that's not our
place.
In Genesis 50, verse 19, itrecords Joseph's words to his
brothers and he says in essence,am I in the place of God?
It's God to do that, it's God'salone.
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And so when we withholdforgiveness, what we're doing is
we're taking the role as ajudge, and it's a place that we
were never meant to be.
We're assuming authority thatonly God has, and when we do
that, we tend to determine theother person's guilt or
innocence, and the only one whohas the authority to do that is
God and by stepping into thatrole, we're effectively saying
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that we're disregarding God'srightful place and when we do
that, we're replacing him asjudge.
Major issue and continues thatconcealing of sin.
Our next slide I want you toconsider this that another way
is that we forget a key fact.
We're forgetting that theoffender as a sinner is one who
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is deceived and enslaved by asin.
Now maybe, as we've talkedabout way back, that sometimes
you actually have a biblicalright to be angry and maybe the
person that you're dealing withdoesn't see it.
Maybe they've been deceived,maybe they're enslaved, maybe
they don't see what's going on.
You're assuming that they seeit clearly and that they are
purposely doing this, butsometimes they don't.
(16:33):
And one of the most importantthings is that forgiveness is
about compassion, and when wefail to forgive, we often forget
that the other person whowronged us is a sinner just like
we are.
Jesus showed compassion tothose.
Remember when he hung on thecross.
He said Father, forgive them.
They don't know what they'redoing.
So when we recognize thatpeople are often trapped in
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their sin, we can more readilyextend forgiveness, just as
Christ forgave us.
In John 8, verse 34, he remindsus that everyone who practices
sin is a slave to sin, andunderstanding this truth about
human nature will bringcompassion in our lives rather
than resentment.
I also need you to recognizethat when you lack compassion,
(17:16):
it often reveals compassion is acentral aspect of the heart of
God.
It's a quality that we'recommended to embody as well as
followers.
Remember in Ephesians, chapter4, it instructs us to be kind to
one another, tenderhearted andforgiving one another, as God
and Christ forgave us.
And here's the dilemma.
The problem is that when wedon't do that, when we fail to
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lack compassion in our lives,what it does is it oftentimes
leads to bitterness, it leads toa willingness to hinder the
relationship, it prevents usfrom seeing our relationships
clearly, and we judge people insuch wrong ways.
We don't see through a lens ofgrace, we see through a lens of
(18:00):
law, and when we choose towithhold forgiveness, we fail to
reflect God's compassion andthe compassion that he has
granted us in our lives, whichis so very important.
One of the last things I wantyou to consider is that when we
don't forgive, what it does isthis we're forgetting the fact
that you, as a sinner, arecapable of the same sin, and
(18:24):
it's so important that the sameroot of sin may already be
residing in you.
You ever find that, maybeoftentimes it is the thing that
bothers you the most, that maybeyou struggle with in your own
life.
And one of the most dangerousthings of unforgiveness is
self-righteousness.
And when we refuse to forgive,we often forget our own capacity
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for the same sins and perhapseven worse.
And what scripture reminds usis that pride goes before
destruction.
So we're all prone to the sametypes of temptation and without
God's grace we fall into thesame trap, or maybe similar
traps.
And in Jeremiah, chapter 17, 9,it reminds us that our hearts
are deceitful and desperatelywicked.
Who can understand it?
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And we must always rememberthat we're not immune to sin.
The same sinful tendencies thatled someone else to offend us
may be lurking in our own hearts.
And therefore Paul said in 1Corinthians, 10, 12,.
Therefore, let anyone whothinks he stand take heed lest
he fall.
See, we must extend the samegrace and forgiveness that we
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ourselves are in need of andthat we have received.
So let's go back to some of thepractical strategies Now.
We looked at the first threebefore, so now let's look at
these last ones.
Here, a practical strategy isto resist counter temptation to
vent your anger.
Now, when we talk about countertemptation, we often hear the
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advice that just let it out, getit off your chest.
But scripture reminds usconstantly that's not the
solution.
Proverbs tells us that recklesswords pierce like a sword, and
venting your anger can hurtothers and it doesn't bring
about lasting peace.
It often shifts the harm.
Instead, we're called torespond with self-control,
(20:10):
understanding that temptation tolash out, even when we feel
justified, will cause problems,and remembering that venting may
prevent us from stuffing it andit may provide some momentary
relief, but it doesn't lead togenuine healing and it doesn't
lead to genuine reconciliation.
We must rely on God's wisdomand patience and restraint in
(20:32):
our hearts when that intenseemotion happens and Ephesians
talked about let no corrupt talkcome out of your mouth, but
only that which is good.
And so what happens is thisit's a challenge to resist to
lash out and is a key tospiritual maturity.
Another point is to replace yourconcealing behavior with godly
(20:53):
speech that ministers to others.
So this is also importantbecause you need to minister to
other people.
That's why we're here.
The scripture doesn't justsimply ask us to stop doing the
wrong thing.
It calls us to replace that badhabit with something good.
And so we're prone to concealour anger and we begin to
replace that behavior withspeech that hurts others.
But now, if we don't concealour anger but build others up,
(21:16):
that would be amazing.
The tongue can be a wise healer, as the Proverbs tell us.
So stop harboring your angerand use your words to edify and
encourage others, even indifficult situations.
Now, that doesn't mean avoidinghard conversations.
Sometimes we have to have that,and the Bible tells us in
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 15,that we need to speak the truth
(21:36):
in love.
So there are times that we needto do that.
But the goal is to reflectChrist in our words and to be
able to start to bring hope andrestoration.
Practicing this will help us toreshape our relationship with
others.
It will also change our heart,and our alignment of our heart
will produce speech that isgreat.
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Another way is to pursuebiblical peacemaking and problem
solving.
True forgiveness andreconciliation requires action.
We can't simply ignore it orsuppress the issue.
We must be actively pursuingreconciliation.
In Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9,it says blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall becalled sons of God.
(22:20):
Now the peacemaking involvesintentional efforts to resolve
conflict in a way that glorifiesGod.
Sometimes that means forgivingthe offense.
Other times it meansconfronting sin in a loving way.
But I need you to remember thepowerful guidance of Matthew 18.
If your brother sins againstyou, go and show him his fault.
Just between the two of you See, when forgiveness or
(22:42):
confrontation is there, we musttake steps to pursue peace.
So it may be that I forgivethis, I let this go, and other
times I need to confront you.
But whether it's whatever wayit is, I need you to recognize
that you need to be activelyengaged in problem solving
rather than withdrawing, andwhen we allow God's grace to
work through us, it will help usto restore our relationships.
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Another thing I want you toconsider is this I want you to
consider that it is so importantto pray, it is so important to
study the scriptures and otherscriptural based resources, like
uprooting anger.
It's so important to enlistprayer and counsel and
accountability from fellowbelievers.
(23:26):
See, change is not one event,but is a continual process.
It requires diligence, itrequires consistency, and one of
the most powerful ways that wecan combat concealing our anger
is by continually immersingourselves in prayer and God's
word In Psalm 119, verses 5,105,.
It says your word is a lamp tomy feet and a light to my path,
(23:50):
and God's word guides us toconfront and address the
internal struggles that we have.
And as we study scripture andwe ask the Holy Spirit to expose
areas in our heart, that'swhere anger has been hiding,
along with prayer.
It's study.
It's important to surroundyourself and submerge yourself
into a community of believersand those that will support you.
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In Proverbs 27, it tells us ironsharpens iron.
Remember that passage and we'renot meant to walk this journey
alone, whether it's in smallgroups or a trusted friend or a
mentor or other people that aregoing to hold you accountable.
It is essential to stay oncourse.
In Hebrews, chapter 10, ittalks about consider how we can
stir one another up to love andgood works and see those two
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things, how we can build up lovein our relationships and good
works.
So it's in times where we feeloverwhelmed or isolated or stuck
in our anger that we need tolean on fellow believers for
prayer, for wisdom, foraccountability.
That can make all thedifference in the world.
Inviting them into your lifewill help you to have real and
lasting change, and the only waythat we could stay humble and
(24:59):
receptive to the guidance andthe correction of the Holy
Spirit in our lives.
So I want you to consider this.
As we're nearing our end today,I want you to consider a couple
of these points.
When someone offends you andstirs up your anger, you
essentially have three optionsReally not, but here are.
(25:20):
The three involves choosing toforgive, extending grace and
letting the offense go.
Proverbs tells us, good sensemakes one slow to anger and it's
the glory to overlook anoffense.
Peter picked up that same pointin his first epistle.
Now, covering an offense is ademonstration of godly wisdom
(25:42):
and love, because there are somethings that people are going to
do that are really not that biga deal.
But there's a second point Now.
If this offense is a little bitmore difficult in serious cases
, we must address it, andscripture tells us that there's
a place for confrontation.
Another great passage inGalatians, chapter 6, verse 1,.
It says Brothers, if anyone iscaught in a transgression, you
(26:02):
who are spiritual, restore him aspirit of gentleness.
This is not about seekingrevenge, but it is about
lovingly correcting your brotheror sister.
Now here's the third option.
The third option is to cook theperson and their offense in
your heart.
This is dangerous, and where itleads to not addressing the
offense or forgiving it, youstew on it, you harbor it, you
(26:26):
become bitter and you let youroffense fester on it.
You harbor it, you becomebitter and you let your offense
fester.
And Hebrews 12 warns us thatsee to it that no one fails to
obtain the grace of God, that noroot of bitterness springs up
within you and causes trouble.
Now I want you to think and thisis where the journal comes in.
I want you to think of thesethree responses and your
tendencies.
When you're provoked to anger,do you find yourself more likely
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to forgive and move on?
Are you the person that willconfront the person, or are you
the person that silently cooks?
And when that offense is thereand it's in your heart?
Now I want you to reflect onwhy that may be happening and
ask God to help you to respondin a way that brings him glory.
Because the first two optionsare biblical options either
overlooking this offense or, ifit's not, a built I don't have
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the ability to do thatconfronting this person.
The third option is not.
So I encourage you to lean intoprayer and reflection this week
and consider asking God's helpand choosing the best option
when your anger arises.
Okay, so, as we wrap up today, Iwant to thank you so much for
being here with me on thisjourney, as we've been going
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through uprooting anger.
It's been a blessing to walkwith you through these biblical
truths, but I want you to remindyourself that transformation
doesn't stop with one session.
True change happens as youapply these lessons day in, day
out in your life.
So I invite you to go to mywebsite, jameslongjrorg.
There, you'll find moreresources, blogs, videos and
opportunities to deepen yourunderstanding and to continue
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your growth.
Whether you're looking foradditional insights on a topic
or want to explore furthertopics like relationships,
spiritual growth or dealing withemotional struggles, my website
is designed to support youalong the way.
So now, next week, lord willing,we will be working through,
believe it or not, lesson numberseven, and we're going to be
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addressing an issue that manypeople struggle with anger
against God and anger againstthemselves.
Lord willing, we'll be herenext Wednesday, october 30th, at
12 pm, so I hope to see youthere for another one of our
enriching lunch and learns.
Let's remember that in thisweek, I want you to remark your
calendars.
Number one.
I want you to invite a friend.
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Number two.
And then, over this week, Iwant you to very honestly be
asking God for his grace toevaluate have I been sinfully
exploding in my anger revealingwhich we talked about last week,
or sinfully concealing my angerstuffing, or have I been
studying my anger?
So, as you think about that, Iwant you to remind yourself that
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the Holy Spirit wants to do awork in you and through you.
He's an amazing God.
Look forward to what he does inyour life.
Let me pray for you and lookforward to seeing you, lord
willing, next time.
So, father, I want to thank youbecause you're a great God.
There's no one like you.
I want to thank you for thisimmense privilege that you give
us to know you.
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I want to thank you for thefact that, even though you were
angry with us, you poured thatanger out on your son, the Lord
Jesus Christ, which is soamazing for those of us that are
in Christ that we stand underno condemnation and nothing will
ever separate us from your love.
Father, it amazes me that youlook at us as though we live the
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perfect and righteous life ofChrist.
Father, I thank you for thefact that as Jesus hung on a
cross, he modeled for us.
Father, forgive them, for theydon't know what they do.
Father, keep us from sinfullyrevealing our anger and spewing
it.
Keep us from sinfullyconcealing our anger and
stuffing it, and help us tostudy it biblically and then
help us to share with others,either overlooking their anger
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or our anger for their sin, orconfronting them in love.
Help us to reflect you.
I'll be with each person here.
I don't know all their stories,but you do Bless them, minister
to them.
Be gracious to them as I knowyou will.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
I look forward to seeing younext time.
May God's grace be with you asyou seek his wisdom, his
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strength to uproot the anger inyour life and to replace it with
his peace.
Welcome back to Lesson 6 in our series,
uprooting Anger.
Now, over the past severalweeks, we've been doing a deep
dive into what the Bible teachesus about anger, and what we've
been seeing is its roots, itsconsequences and how we can
uproot anger in our lives.
We've explored how anger isn'tjust an emotion but a whole
person response, a response thatoften reveals something going
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deeper inside of us.
Now, the last time, we talkedabout how anger reveals itself
in our behaviors and how itoften points to hard issues, a
misalignment with God's will anda failure to seek God's glory
and others' good, and we lookedat biblical strategies to
transform our sinful anger intoChrist-like responses.
Today we're going to do adeeper dive and talk about how a
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behavior can be just asdangerous the behavior as
stuffing our anger.
Now we think of outbursts ofanger as bad, but concealing our
anger can be just as bad.
And have you ever been angryand decided to stuff it down, to
pretend that it wasn't there?
Maybe it's thought that if Iignore it it'll just go away?
Now here's the hook.
Concealed anger is like aticking time bomb.
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It doesn't just disappear, itsimmers, it grows and eventually
it manifests itself in waysthat you might not expect Now.
Today we're going to explorewhat happens when we hide our
anger and what Scripture tellsus about this, and then the
practical steps to deal with itbiblically.
So, before we dive in, let mepray for you, father.
I want to thank you for who youare and whose we are.
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I want to thank you for thefact that you are a loving and
gracious God.
You're also a God who has angerand wrath for sin and, Father,
I pray that you would help us totry to negotiate what it means
to be biblically righteous inour anger.
I pray today that we wouldrecognize that concealing our
anger is not biblical, it's notrighteous and it causes such
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great problems.
So please do a work in us, lord, and please do a work through
us.
Help us to honor you andreflect you in all that we say
and all that we do.
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
Okay, so hopefully now you canstill hear me and let's go into
lesson number six, and lessonnumber six is so important.
One of the things that we'regoing to be doing is learning
about how we need to stopconcealing our anger, so I want
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you to consider these passagesNow.
There are two key passages thatwe want to look at here In
Leviticus, chapter 19, verses 16through 17,.
It says you shall not go aroundas a slanderer among the people
.
You should not stand up againstthe life of your neighbor.
I am the Lord, your God.
You shall not hate your brotherin your heart and you shall
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reason frankly with yourneighbor lest you incur sin
because of him.
You shall not take vengeance orbear a grudge against the sons
of your own people, but youshall love your neighbor as
yourself.
I am the Lord.
So now this passage.
If we think about this passagefrom Leviticus, this passage
speaks directly to the issue ofhidden anger and unresolved
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conflict.
Now it's easy to think ofavoiding confrontation or
keeping our anger insideourselves is a better route, but
what God's word says is thatyou shall not hate your brother
in your heart, but you shallreason frankly with your
neighbor.
This is a call to confrontation, not in a way to stir up more
anger or tension, but a way toseek the truth and
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reconciliation.
God instructs us to deal withour anger directly, with honesty
and clarity, rather thanconcealing it and allowing it to
fester in our hate into hatredor to bitterness.
And why is that?
Because when we let anger sit,it bears grudges and it becomes
like a poison in our heart andit leads to further sin.
We may not even lash outimmediately, but over time,
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concealed anger turns intoresentment and slander and
vengeance.
And instead of festering angerin our hearts, we are called to
love others.
Remember, we're called to bepatient, we're called to be
understanding, we're called tocommit to resolving conflicts.
So I want you to remindyourself of this that hidden
anger is never harmless.
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It is like a seed leftunchecked that will grow into
something destructive.
And God is clear unresolvedanger is a barrier not just to
our relationships with others,but also our relationship with
God.
Now, the second passage herefrom Ephesians, chapter 4,
verses 26 to 27 and verses 30through-5.2, says Be angry and
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do not sin.
Do not let the sun go down inyour anger and give no
opportunity to the devil and donot grieve.
The Holy Spirit of God, by whomyou were sealed in the day of
redemption, let all bitternessand wrath and anger and clamor
and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Be kind to one another,tenderhearted, forgiving one
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another, as God in Christforgave you.
Therefore, be imitators of Godas beloved children and walk in
love, as Christ loved us andgave himself up for us, a
fragrant offering and asacrifice to God.
Now that passage in Ephesians isa powerful reminder that, while
we may feel angry, we're notallowed to take root in our
hearts.
It says in your anger, do notsin.
It's okay to feel angry, butthe danger comes when we allow
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it to linger and to simmer inour hearts.
And when we do, we're givingthe devil an opportunity to use
that anger to lead us to greatersin, bitterness, wrath or
malice.
Now what Paul also warns us isthat unresolved anger grieves
the Holy Spirit.
It hinders the spiritual growthand our ability to reflect
Christ to those around us.
Instead, we're called to putaway anger, put away bitterness
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and malice and replace them withkindness and compassion and
forgiveness, just as God hasdone for us in Christ.
Christ has shown that to us Now.
This passage is a call to actionnot to let our anger linger in
our hearts.
Don't give it room to take rootand to grow into something
harmful.
Instead, deal with it quicklyand your hearts will be filled
with love and forgiveness thatcomes from Christ, because when
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we walk in love, we imitateChrist, and we will find that
there is a freedom that comesfrom releasing anger and
embracing peace.
Now, these two passages give usa clear biblical framework of
how we should handle our anger.
Rather than burying it, we'recalled to address it openly and
honestly, seeking resolution andreconciliation.
Anger left to simmer will leadaway from God's will for our
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lives, and when we choose toconfront it biblically, we walk
in freedom and grace and love.
So I want you to consider thisnext thing.
I want to give you somestrategies of how you can deal
with your anger in a godly way.
One of the first ones is this Iwant you to see that the
sinfulness and the ugliness ofbitterness of heart and
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concealing it is so terrible,and so we need to start with
this.
I want you to see that, asconcealed anger happens in our
heart, it's not just anemotional issue, but it's a
spiritual one which is so veryhard for us to understand.
When we harbor bitterness inour heart, we're essentially
allowing idols to rule our heart, and the idols of control or
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comfort or even revenge.
Now Robert Jones is pointing outthat, while some of us may
desire things that are not evilin and of themselves, they will
become sinful when we allow themto take over our hearts.
These desires can lead to badmasters, and they will lead us
to hide our anger rather than todeal with it directly.
We see this throughoutscripture that concealing anger
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grieves God.
It disrupts relationships andcan even cause physical harm,
and when we hide our anger,we're also usurping God's role
as judge.
So the first step is torecognize the damaging aspects
of controlled anger or concealedanger, and when we do that, it
causes issues in ourrelationship with God.
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It causes issues with ourrelationship with others and it
will even affect ourselves.
Now, when we reflect on this, Iwant you to take time in a
journal to specifically think ofways in which concealed anger
has harmed areas of your life.
Now I want you to ask othersmaybe your spouse or close
friend for their perspective aswell, because it is so important
to be able to understand thatthis is something that is hidden
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deep in our hearts and it canbe something that can be really
challenging.
The second point is that we needto turn to Jesus in repentance
and faith.
And we do that, we will believefully that he forgives us.
He not only fully forgives us,but he frees us.
And this practical step is soimportant because if we turn our
eyes towards Jesus in faith andbelief, he promises to forgive
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us.
He says in 1 Corinthians thatif we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just to forgive usof our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
See, once we've recognized thesinfulness of our concealed
anger, we need to turn to Jesusand turn to him Now.
This is where transformationbegins, and this is the beauty
of the gospel that Christ diedand rose for sinners, not just
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for those who explode in theiranger, but also for those who
clam up and hide their anger.
Christ's grace is more thansufficient to forgive you of
your bitterness and he has thepower to change your heart.
Now many people struggle withovercoming anger because they
doubt God's transformative powerand transforming grace.
But scripture tells us that hecan not only forgive us, but he
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can also melt away bitternessand he can give us the strength
to forgive others.
He says that in Mark 11,chapter 25.
And the key is to believe thatGod's grace can both forgive you
and transform you.
Forgive your offender from theheart.
Now this leads to this soimportant place that when we've
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seen throughout scripture thatGod's forgiveness is there, at
the very heart of the gospel.
He has forgiven you all yoursins.
Christ forgave us while we werestill sinners and now we're
called to forgive others in thesame way.
But the reality is, veryhonestly, that forgiveness is
not easy.
It's not easy and it's notquick, and we may say it this
way, I can't forgive him forwhat he's done to me and maybe
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you've been there but I want youto know that scripture tells us
that you must forgive, andbecause we have made forgiving
far greater debt, we mustforgive people.
And when we refuse, what endsup happening is, essentially,
we're saying that we don't needGod's forgiveness at all in our
lives.
So I ask you, who are youholding a grudge against today?
What bitterness is lodged inyour heart?
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You're called to forgive, notout of your own strength, but
out of the empowering work ofChrist in you, that God wants to
do a work in you and throughyou.
In a great passage in Matthew,chapter 6, it says forgive our
debts as we have forgiven ourdebtors, and lead us not into
temptation but deliver us fromevil.
For if you forgive others,their trespasses, your heavenly
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Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgiveothers, their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will alsoforgive you, but if you do not
forgive others, their trespasses, neither will your heavenly
Father forgive you.
I want you to consider this Now.
What happens if I don't chooseto forget Now?
Maybe you're in that positionwhere it talked about forgiving
from the heart, but maybe you'resaying I don't know if I want
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to forget Now.
Forgiveness is one of thehardest commands, yet it is
central to our walk with Christ.
I want to walk through and do adeep dive into why failing to
forgive will not only be arelational issue but a
profoundly spiritual one, andthis will span a few slides.
So I want you to begin with twocritical points here.
First, forgetting the size ofthe massive debt that you have
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against god.
Now, if you remember thispassage in matthew, chapter 18,
verses 21 to 35, jesus gives aparable of the unmerciful
servant.
Now many of you are familiarwith it now.
The servant was forgiven anunimaginable debt by his master,
only to turn around and refuseforgiveness for as much smaller
debt owed to him by his friend.
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Now, the servant's inability toforgive showed a failure to
understand and to appreciate thegrace that he had received.
Now, similarly, when we refuseto forgive, we're essentially
saying we've forgotten themassive spiritual debt that we
had against God and that he hascanceled on our behalf.
And remember from Ephesians,chapter 4, verse 32, it calls us
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to forgive as God has forgivenus.
And Colossians, chapter 3,reminds us that we must forgive
each other as the Lord hasforgiven us.
It's essential to grasp theenormity of God's forgiveness of
us.
So now we grasp the enormity ofwhat he has done for us, and
then what we do is to offer thatsame forgiveness to other
people.
Now Jesus clearly tells us inthe Matthew passage that we read
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earlier, that we must forgive.
He's saying if you forgiveother people, your trespasses.
You're acknowledging that Godhas forgiven you.
But if you don't forgive otherpeople, their trespasses, you're
also acknowledging that Godcan't do it.
It's about showing that we'retruly understanding and we're
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appreciating the grace thatwe've received.
When we withhold forgiveness,we're essentially saying that we
don't recognize thesignificance of our own need.
I alluded to this passageearlier, but in Mark 11, verse
25, it reinforces this point.
Whenever you stand praying,forgive if you have anything
against anyone, so that yourheavenly Father may also forgive
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.
You See, forgiveness is notjust about others.
It's about keeping our heartsin alignment with the grace that
we receive from God, and if weforget the depth of our own
forgiveness, it's easy to becomeprideful and judgmental and
bitter.
So I want you to consider acouple of other points that
happen when we choose not toforgive.
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A third thing is that we'redeclaring in some way or another
that we don't need God's mercyon the day of judgment.
See, one of the most profoundissues is that we will all stand
before God and have to give anaccount, and one of these issues
of the reality in our walk withChrist is that we need his
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mercy.
We need it now, but we alsoneed it in the day of judgment.
And if we refuse to show thatto other people, when we refuse
to forgive other people, we'reessentially saying to them that
we don't need mercy ourselves.
This is a really dangerousposition to take, because
scripture is clear Blessed arethe merciful, because they shall
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receive mercy.
In James, chapter 2, itreinforces this by saying, for
judgment without mercy is givento the one who shows no mercy.
See, mercy triumphs overjudgment.
In Micah, chapter 6, he's shownyou, oh man, what is good and
what the Lord requires of you todo what is just to love,
kindness and to walk humbly.
When we refuse to forgive,we're acting as though we're
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above needing forgiveness, andscripture reminds us that mercy
is the very foundation of ourrelationship with God.
Another thing is that we'reassuming God's role as judge.
When we withhold forgiveness,we're effectively saying in
ourselves, to ourselves and toothers, that we have the seat of
judgment, a position thatbelongs to God solely.
In Romans 12, verse 19, it saysnever avenge yourself, but
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leave it to the wrath of God.
I will repay.
Jesus says See the refusal toforgive.
When we're saying this, we saythat we know better than God and
how justice should beadministered, but that's not our
place.
In Genesis 50, verse 19, itrecords Joseph's words to his
brothers and he says in essence,am I in the place of God?
It's God to do that, it's God'salone.
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And so when we withholdforgiveness, what we're doing is
we're taking the role as ajudge, and it's a place that we
were never meant to be.
We're assuming authority thatonly God has, and when we do
that, we tend to determine theother person's guilt or
innocence, and the only one whohas the authority to do that is
God and by stepping into thatrole, we're effectively saying
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that we're disregarding God'srightful place and when we do
that, we're replacing him asjudge.
Major issue and continues thatconcealing of sin.
Our next slide I want you toconsider this that another way
is that we forget a key fact.
We're forgetting that theoffender as a sinner is one who
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is deceived and enslaved by asin.
Now maybe, as we've talkedabout way back, that sometimes
you actually have a biblicalright to be angry and maybe the
person that you're dealing withdoesn't see it.
Maybe they've been deceived,maybe they're enslaved, maybe
they don't see what's going on.
You're assuming that they seeit clearly and that they are
purposely doing this, butsometimes they don't.
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And one of the most importantthings is that forgiveness is
about compassion, and when wefail to forgive, we often forget
that the other person whowronged us is a sinner just like
we are.
Jesus showed compassion tothose.
Remember when he hung on thecross.
He said Father, forgive them.
They don't know what they'redoing.
So when we recognize thatpeople are often trapped in
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their sin, we can more readilyextend forgiveness, just as
Christ forgave us.
In John 8, verse 34, he remindsus that everyone who practices
sin is a slave to sin, andunderstanding this truth about
human nature will bringcompassion in our lives rather
than resentment.
I also need you to recognizethat when you lack compassion,
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it often reveals compassion is acentral aspect of the heart of
God.
It's a quality that we'recommended to embody as well as
followers.
Remember in Ephesians, chapter4, it instructs us to be kind to
one another, tenderhearted andforgiving one another, as God
and Christ forgave us.
And here's the dilemma.
The problem is that when wedon't do that, when we fail to
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lack compassion in our lives,what it does is it oftentimes
leads to bitterness, it leads toa willingness to hinder the
relationship, it prevents usfrom seeing our relationships
clearly, and we judge people insuch wrong ways.
We don't see through a lens ofgrace, we see through a lens of
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law, and when we choose towithhold forgiveness, we fail to
reflect God's compassion andthe compassion that he has
granted us in our lives, whichis so very important.
One of the last things I wantyou to consider is that when we
don't forgive, what it does isthis we're forgetting the fact
that you, as a sinner, arecapable of the same sin, and
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it's so important that the sameroot of sin may already be
residing in you.
You ever find that, maybeoftentimes it is the thing that
bothers you the most, that maybeyou struggle with in your own
life.
And one of the most dangerousthings of unforgiveness is
self-righteousness.
And when we refuse to forgive,we often forget our own capacity
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for the same sins and perhapseven worse.
And what scripture reminds usis that pride goes before
destruction.
So we're all prone to the sametypes of temptation and without
God's grace we fall into thesame trap, or maybe similar
traps.
And in Jeremiah, chapter 17, 9,it reminds us that our hearts
are deceitful and desperatelywicked.
Who can understand it?
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And we must always rememberthat we're not immune to sin.
The same sinful tendencies thatled someone else to offend us
may be lurking in our own hearts.
And therefore Paul said in 1Corinthians, 10, 12,.
Therefore, let anyone whothinks he stand take heed lest
he fall.
See, we must extend the samegrace and forgiveness that we
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ourselves are in need of andthat we have received.
So let's go back to some of thepractical strategies Now.
We looked at the first threebefore, so now let's look at
these last ones.
Here, a practical strategy isto resist counter temptation to
vent your anger.
Now, when we talk about countertemptation, we often hear the
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advice that just let it out, getit off your chest.
But scripture reminds usconstantly that's not the
solution.
Proverbs tells us that recklesswords pierce like a sword, and
venting your anger can hurtothers and it doesn't bring
about lasting peace.
It often shifts the harm.
Instead, we're called torespond with self-control,
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understanding that temptation tolash out, even when we feel
justified, will cause problems,and remembering that venting may
prevent us from stuffing it andit may provide some momentary
relief, but it doesn't lead togenuine healing and it doesn't
lead to genuine reconciliation.
We must rely on God's wisdomand patience and restraint in
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our hearts when that intenseemotion happens and Ephesians
talked about let no corrupt talkcome out of your mouth, but
only that which is good.
And so what happens is thisit's a challenge to resist to
lash out and is a key tospiritual maturity.
Another point is to replace yourconcealing behavior with godly
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speech that ministers to others.
So this is also importantbecause you need to minister to
other people.
That's why we're here.
The scripture doesn't justsimply ask us to stop doing the
wrong thing.
It calls us to replace that badhabit with something good.
And so we're prone to concealour anger and we begin to
replace that behavior withspeech that hurts others.
But now, if we don't concealour anger but build others up,
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that would be amazing.
The tongue can be a wise healer, as the Proverbs tell us.
So stop harboring your angerand use your words to edify and
encourage others, even indifficult situations.
Now, that doesn't mean avoidinghard conversations.
Sometimes we have to have that,and the Bible tells us in
Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 15,that we need to speak the truth
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in love.
So there are times that we needto do that.
But the goal is to reflectChrist in our words and to be
able to start to bring hope andrestoration.
Practicing this will help us toreshape our relationship with
others.
It will also change our heart,and our alignment of our heart
will produce speech that isgreat.
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Another way is to pursuebiblical peacemaking and problem
solving.
True forgiveness andreconciliation requires action.
We can't simply ignore it orsuppress the issue.
We must be actively pursuingreconciliation.
In Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9,it says blessed are the
peacemakers, for they shall becalled sons of God.
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Now the peacemaking involvesintentional efforts to resolve
conflict in a way that glorifiesGod.
Sometimes that means forgivingthe offense.
Other times it meansconfronting sin in a loving way.
But I need you to remember thepowerful guidance of Matthew 18.
If your brother sins againstyou, go and show him his fault.
Just between the two of you See, when forgiveness or
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confrontation is there, we musttake steps to pursue peace.
So it may be that I forgivethis, I let this go, and other
times I need to confront you.
But whether it's whatever wayit is, I need you to recognize
that you need to be activelyengaged in problem solving
rather than withdrawing, andwhen we allow God's grace to
work through us, it will help usto restore our relationships.
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Another thing I want you toconsider is this I want you to
consider that it is so importantto pray, it is so important to
study the scriptures and otherscriptural based resources, like
uprooting anger.
It's so important to enlistprayer and counsel and
accountability from fellowbelievers.
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See, change is not one event,but is a continual process.
It requires diligence, itrequires consistency, and one of
the most powerful ways that wecan combat concealing our anger
is by continually immersingourselves in prayer and God's
word In Psalm 119, verses 5,105,.
It says your word is a lamp tomy feet and a light to my path,
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and God's word guides us toconfront and address the
internal struggles that we have.
And as we study scripture andwe ask the Holy Spirit to expose
areas in our heart, that'swhere anger has been hiding,
along with prayer.
It's study.
It's important to surroundyourself and submerge yourself
into a community of believersand those that will support you.
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In Proverbs 27, it tells us ironsharpens iron.
Remember that passage and we'renot meant to walk this journey
alone, whether it's in smallgroups or a trusted friend or a
mentor or other people that aregoing to hold you accountable.
It is essential to stay oncourse.
In Hebrews, chapter 10, ittalks about consider how we can
stir one another up to love andgood works and see those two
(24:36):
things, how we can build up lovein our relationships and good
works.
So it's in times where we feeloverwhelmed or isolated or stuck
in our anger that we need tolean on fellow believers for
prayer, for wisdom, foraccountability.
That can make all thedifference in the world.
Inviting them into your lifewill help you to have real and
lasting change, and the only waythat we could stay humble and
(24:59):
receptive to the guidance andthe correction of the Holy
Spirit in our lives.
So I want you to consider this.
As we're nearing our end today,I want you to consider a couple
of these points.
When someone offends you andstirs up your anger, you
essentially have three optionsReally not, but here are.
(25:20):
The three involves choosing toforgive, extending grace and
letting the offense go.
Proverbs tells us, good sensemakes one slow to anger and it's
the glory to overlook anoffense.
Peter picked up that same pointin his first epistle.
Now, covering an offense is ademonstration of godly wisdom
(25:42):
and love, because there are somethings that people are going to
do that are really not that biga deal.
But there's a second point Now.
If this offense is a little bitmore difficult in serious cases
, we must address it, andscripture tells us that there's
a place for confrontation.
Another great passage inGalatians, chapter 6, verse 1,.
It says Brothers, if anyone iscaught in a transgression, you
(26:02):
who are spiritual, restore him aspirit of gentleness.
This is not about seekingrevenge, but it is about
lovingly correcting your brotheror sister.
Now here's the third option.
The third option is to cook theperson and their offense in
your heart.
This is dangerous, and where itleads to not addressing the
offense or forgiving it, youstew on it, you harbor it, you
(26:26):
become bitter and you let youroffense fester on it.
You harbor it, you becomebitter and you let your offense
fester.
And Hebrews 12 warns us thatsee to it that no one fails to
obtain the grace of God, that noroot of bitterness springs up
within you and causes trouble.
Now I want you to think and thisis where the journal comes in.
I want you to think of thesethree responses and your
tendencies.
When you're provoked to anger,do you find yourself more likely
(26:48):
to forgive and move on?
Are you the person that willconfront the person, or are you
the person that silently cooks?
And when that offense is thereand it's in your heart?
Now I want you to reflect onwhy that may be happening and
ask God to help you to respondin a way that brings him glory.
Because the first two optionsare biblical options either
overlooking this offense or, ifit's not, a built I don't have
(27:10):
the ability to do thatconfronting this person.
The third option is not.
So I encourage you to lean intoprayer and reflection this week
and consider asking God's helpand choosing the best option
when your anger arises.
Okay, so, as we wrap up today, Iwant to thank you so much for
being here with me on thisjourney, as we've been going
(27:30):
through uprooting anger.
It's been a blessing to walkwith you through these biblical
truths, but I want you to remindyourself that transformation
doesn't stop with one session.
True change happens as youapply these lessons day in, day
out in your life.
So I invite you to go to mywebsite, jameslongjrorg.
There, you'll find moreresources, blogs, videos and
opportunities to deepen yourunderstanding and to continue
(27:52):
your growth.
Whether you're looking foradditional insights on a topic
or want to explore furthertopics like relationships,
spiritual growth or dealing withemotional struggles, my website
is designed to support youalong the way.
So now, next week, lord willing,we will be working through,
believe it or not, lesson numberseven, and we're going to be
(28:13):
addressing an issue that manypeople struggle with anger
against God and anger againstthemselves.
Lord willing, we'll be herenext Wednesday, october 30th, at
12 pm, so I hope to see youthere for another one of our
enriching lunch and learns.
Let's remember that in thisweek, I want you to remark your
calendars.
Number one.
I want you to invite a friend.
(28:34):
Number two.
And then, over this week, Iwant you to very honestly be
asking God for his grace toevaluate have I been sinfully
exploding in my anger revealingwhich we talked about last week,
or sinfully concealing my angerstuffing, or have I been
studying my anger?
So, as you think about that, Iwant you to remind yourself that
(28:55):
the Holy Spirit wants to do awork in you and through you.
He's an amazing God.
Look forward to what he does inyour life.
Let me pray for you and lookforward to seeing you, lord
willing, next time.
So, father, I want to thank youbecause you're a great God.
There's no one like you.
I want to thank you for thisimmense privilege that you give
us to know you.
(29:16):
I want to thank you for thefact that, even though you were
angry with us, you poured thatanger out on your son, the Lord
Jesus Christ, which is soamazing for those of us that are
in Christ that we stand underno condemnation and nothing will
ever separate us from your love.
Father, it amazes me that youlook at us as though we live the
(29:37):
perfect and righteous life ofChrist.
Father, I thank you for thefact that as Jesus hung on a
cross, he modeled for us.
Father, forgive them, for theydon't know what they do.
Father, keep us from sinfullyrevealing our anger and spewing
it.
Keep us from sinfullyconcealing our anger and
stuffing it, and help us tostudy it biblically and then
help us to share with others,either overlooking their anger
(30:02):
or our anger for their sin, orconfronting them in love.
Help us to reflect you.
I'll be with each person here.
I don't know all their stories,but you do Bless them, minister
to them.
Be gracious to them as I knowyou will.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.
I look forward to seeing younext time.
May God's grace be with you asyou seek his wisdom, his
(30:25):
strength to uproot the anger inyour life and to replace it with
his peace.
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