Grace and Mercy

They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them. – Nehemiah 9:17

Anger can create a type of amnesia, where we forget that we have made mistakes and require patience from others. When we’re quick to react in anger, we fail to recall times we’ve received latitude and grace from others for our imperfections. We become stubborn and refuse to listen to reason and more importantly, truth.

Self-awareness can help us remember our own weaknesses. As we work to understand what is driving the anger and resentment, we can strive to be more mindful and present. When someone doesn’t meet our expectations, we can address the issue, not attack the person. When circumstances don’t go the way we want, we can choose not to let disappointment cause us to react negatively. We can choose not to live in a reactive state of mind.

Even in situations in which anger is justified, if we don’t work on healing the wound, bitterness will creep in, keeping us stuck in the past, forgetting that we have a present and a future of hope.

Anger creates difficulties in relationships, feeds bitterness, and allows shame to take over our lives. But God is full of grace and mercy, forgiveness, and love for us. We can begin today to resolve the anger that has been dominating our lives. God doesn’t want us to live one more day driven by the things that once enslaved us.

Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God’s sovereignty in your life. When you believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who belong to him and love him, you can respond to trials with joy instead of anger or bitterness. – John C. Broger

Feelings are indicators, not dictators. They can indicate where your heart is in the moment, but that doesn’t mean they have the right to dictate your behavior and boss you around. You are more than the sum total of your feelings and perfectly capable of that little gift … called self-control. – Lysa TerKeurst 

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father God, today I ask forgiveness for the times that anger has driven me to be harsh and bitter. Help me as I forgive others and learn to have patience with this imperfect world trusting that you are in control. Amen.

Taken from 100 Days to Freedom from Anger copyright © 2021 by Stephen Arterburn and Becky Brown. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.