Be silent, when you are angry! ...

Friday, Jan 24, 2014. Do you know the situation where you are very angry about something or someone? How do you deal with your anger? How do you transform it into something positive?

Anger and what I did …

I remember some very significant moments of my life, where I have been very angry about people. For example, I have been angry about some friends in my first year of studies, at the end. I was so angry about their ignorant behaviour, that I thought: something has to happen. Something has to change. And I started to study a second subject. This second subject turned out to be my favourite subject, and it became my main subject and profession in the following years.

I remember another situation. I was very angry about some people - so I wanted to get rid of the anger and started to run half-marathon. It turned out to be quite some fun, and I enjoy the running very much.

There are further situations, where anger led me to change things in my life. Indeed, the anger and sadness about my own failures led me to ask God for help - and finally to trust my life to Christ. I realized that I cannot do it alone, that I cannot be truly good, that I need full forgiveness. Anger and sadness can be extremely important moments in our life!

Anger, Silence, Joy …

Psalm 4 takes us into a situation where David is quite angry. He is angry about his distress, and about the people causing it. And he finally finds joy - joy in the Lord:

1 To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! 2 O men,1 how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies? 3 But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. 4 Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. 5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. 6 There are many who say, “Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!” 7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4)

David seeks a way how to deal with his anger. He seeks for a mechanism to use and transform and change it. Do not sin. Do not, in your anger, cause further problems. But go into yourself and be silent. This is the first and important advice which we are given.

But there is more here! David finds joy, which is coming from the Lord. It is not the joy of wine and grain. It is not the joy of money or success or being rich. It is a joy which is coming from Jesus himself. (Roland Potthast) ... more texts