ANGER PROBLEM: TRY A BEHAVIORAL REMINDER
Do you ever struggle with leaving your faith at home, forgetting to let the Lord have charge of your decisions, responses and behaviors for the day ahead? It’s easy to get frustrated or angry and “blow our stacks” as well as our Christian witness before we know it. If you’ve done this, just know you’re not the first Christian who has. However, it does point out the important need for us to be able to remember proper responses in difficult moments. Even those working in the secular field see the need to have something to remind us of our “best intentions”.
McKay and Rogers in their “Anger Control Workbook” suggest that we need a tangible reminder like a new ring or a dedicated piece of jewelry to help us remember our coping mechanisms when we get angry. For instance, you might try wearing your watch on the opposite wrist on a particular day that you have to deal with a person whom you find difficult. The watch is there to remind you: be careful, go slow, watch what you say. I’ve decided to call these “Behavioral Reminders”. Now let me hasten to say that I personally believe a daily and persistent saturation in the word of God will help us remember the importance of Godly responses more than anything. Nothing substitutes for the renewing of our minds as we study the word of God.
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Nevertheless, I also found that McKay and Rogers might be closer to a scriptural principle that I realized. This year in reading through the scripture I came across a passage which I have read many times before but seem to speak to me like never before. Look at this passage with me.
Num 15:37-41 The LORD said to Moses, 38 “Speak to the Israelites and tell them that throughout their generations they are to make tassels for the corners of their garments, and put a blue cord on the tassel at each corner. 39 These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the LORD’s commands and obey them and not become unfaithful by following your own heart and your own eyes. 40 This way you will remember and obey all My commands and be holy to your God. 41 I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the LORD your God.” (HCSB)
In conclusion, it is important to remember we cannot avoid all anger, nor should we try. God doesn’t tell us not to get angry, rather He tells us not to sin when we are angry. So if you struggle with sinful anger it might be helpful try a “behavioral reminder” especially when you know your going into a tense or potentially explosive situation.
“Anyone can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way – that is not within everyone’s power and that is not easy.”-Aristotle