Who angers you?

Do you find yourself getting angry with or at someone?  Do you begin to think or say things that you typically wouldn't?  Is this person a family member, neighbor, coworker, boss, friend, or someone you have never met?

You make not think much about it, but that anger runs so much deeper than you think.  The definition of anger is "a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility" so then we need to look at annoyance, displeasure, and hostility.  However, when you look up annoyance it speaks of anger, displeasure speaks of anger, but hostility speaks of unfriendliness.  Often if you are angry at someone you then begin talking about them, and the snowball begins.  You get angry, tell someone else, and continue to spread the anger by telling others or talking about the person, then before you know it that first seed of anger has spread. 

I too have fallen subject to anger.  I held in anger towards relatives and others in my life.  There are times that I still feel myself getting angry, but I have to let it go.  I realized years ago that if you allow someone to make you angry and stay angry then they control you.  I realized that I have to forgive the person, for myself not them  I have the ability to choose how I react to the person.  I can get angry and give them power, or give it to God and give all of the power to Him.  I am not implying that I never get angry, but I am a lot faster to let it go now.

Now lets see what God says about anger:

Ecclesiates 7:9 - Control your temper for anger labels you a fool
Ephesians 4:27 - for anger fives a foothold to the devil
James 1:20 - Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires

That puts a different spin on things doesn't it?  We may think it isn't hurting anyone, but in reality it is hurting God and that is someone I never want to hurt.  How can we change this?  People will continue to upset you, and possibly anger you.  However, you and you alone have the choice of how to react.  You can react in peace, in forgiveness, and in love or you can continue the anger seeds. 

Is there someone that comes to mind when you read all of this?  Imagine the relief you will feel when you forgive them.  You do not have to reconcile the relationship, or allow them back in your in your life.  No one deserves to be in an unhealthy relationship, or to be harmed but everyone does deserve to live in peace.  Once you forgive the person the peace will begin. 

Take a moment and think of who angers you, so that you can begin taking the steps necessary to claim the control of your life back.  Just because you address this today doesn't mean that you will never be angered again.  However, it does mean that next time you will be better equipped to respond and retain the control.