Dealing with Anger

 When I was 12. A very tall strong Englishman walked into the classroom. He spoke to us in a booming resonant voice like a thunderclap. Many of our teachers had nicknames and we called him Thunderguts. He was not a nasty man. He did not exploit his immense size or his powerful voice unfairly or aggressively.

He taught me for two years. When I was 12, he taught me for only one lesson a week. I felt uncomfortable with him but it was not so bad. The next year, when I was 13, he was my teacher for Geography. The course and the textbook were deadly boring and I hated the subject.

My discomfort with the English giant with the thunderous voice developed into a passionate hatred. He was not unpopular but I detested him. In my eyes he became an English ogre who salivated over the blood of Australian boys, especially a rather small boy like me. 

There was no evidence to support my intuitive judgement of his character. My best friend really liked him.

I was a good student but that year I failed Geography with a mark of 33%. I did it on purpose. It was deliberate rebellion. I refused to make an effort. I was proud of myself at the time.

What was the reason for my reaction? My father was a wonderful friend to me but he also had an anger problem. When he was angry, he sometimes shouted with rage, although he was never violent.

Do you ever dislike people for little reasons, because of something in their personality that makes you feel uncomfortable?

Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety. Pr 29:25 NLT

For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. James 1:20  NET

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. James 1:19 NET

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Col 3:8  NKJ

WHY DO PEOPLE GET ANGRY?
When people in your family or school get angry, what kinds of things do they say?
Do you know anyone who gets angry a lot?

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ANGER?
What do you get angry about? Who do you get angry with?
What kinds of things do you do and say when you are angry?
How long do you stay angry?
Is there any connection with anger and fear?
What can you do about anger?

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FEAR?
What are you scared of? Who are you scared of?
How often do you feel scared?
Can you remember being seriously terrified?
What can you do about fear?

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH RESENTMENT?
Resentment is often a feeling of helpless frustration, indignation and anger. Someone has hurt you and you feel you are a helpless victim. Maybe you feel vulnerable and afraid that you will continue to be a victim. You feel weak and defenceless.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH BITTERNESS?
Bitterness is long term anger. If you resent something or someone for a long time, you feel bitter.

Staying Positive in Troubled Times

 As a little boy I loved listening to my father’s classical music recordings. One of my favourite recordings was of a German Jewish men’s choir who sang lovely German folk songs even during the Nazi period.

One of the all-time favourite movies is “The Sound of Music”. It tells of the Austrian von Trapp family, who were strongly anti-Nazi. They had to escape over the mountains to Switzerland to avoid persecution. What is striking in this movie is their love of God and positive human values. They were more for God and people than against the Nazis. It was their faith and love that drove them, rather than hatred of the Nazis.

They were determined to stay positive.

Baron von Trapp sang about his love of beautiful flowers and his love for his homeland.
Maria von Trapp sang about her favourite things. When she was upset, she would think about her favourite things.

When I read the news, I am shocked by what national leaders are doing. I have been crying out for Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. I have seen God work miracles to protect Ukrainians. It is amazing that the Russians have not been able to conquer these people. God must be with Ukraine.
But hating Putin will solve nothing. He is what he is.

Valentin Silvestrov is a Ukrainian musician who fled to Berlin in 2022. In Berlin, he composed music, but not angry nationalistic music. He set the Lord’s Prayer to music. 

In very troubled times, it is so easy to become obsessed with fear and anger, but God is still God.

We can pray:
“Your will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven.”

The Apostle Paul’s life was full of persecution and suffering. He was a brutal persecutor of the Christians and then as a Christian he suffered equally brutal persecution himself.
He wrote:

We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Cor 4:8–9 NIV

And in another letter he wrote:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Php 4:6–8 NIV

Positive thinking was not invented by American writers of self-help books. It comes from the Bible, because God is positive and he loves you.