Sister Tarpley: Understanding the Source of Anger

By Sister Tarpley, NDG Religion Editor

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” – Proverbs 29:11

The workplace can be a pressure-packed world.   The demands that are often put on us can bring out things that we never knew were there.  Sometimes we begin to think that the source of that pressure is to blame for our response to the pressure.  It could be an event, a spouse, a boss, a client, a child, or even a driver who cuts us off in traffic.

An event was recall that responding to a close friend one time, “If you had not done that, I would never have responded that way.”  Later I learned that this response had little truth to it.  We all choose to get angry.  And, remember, anger is one letter from danger.  No one else is to blame for our anger.  “The circumstances of life, the events of life and the people around me in life, do not make me the way I am, but reveal the way I am”  –Dr. Sam Peeples.

This simple quote has had a profound impact on how people view their anger now.   Anger only reveals what is inside of us.  We can’t blame anyone but ourselves for our response to a situation that can be learned that anger is only the symptom of something else that is going on inside of us.  This quote now resides on my refrigerator door as a daily reminder of the truth about my response to life’s situations.

It has been said that anger is like the warning panel on the dash of your car.  It is the light that tells us something is going on under the hood and we need to find out what is the source of the problem. I have discovered that the source of anger is often unmet expectations or personal rights.  We believe we are entitled to a particular outcome to a situation.  When this doesn’t happen, it triggers something in us.   At the core of this is fear, often is a fear of failure or rejection, fear of what others think, fear of the unknown.

 If you struggle with anger, ask God to reveal the source of that anger.  Ask Him to heal you of any fears that may be the root of your anger.  Ask God to help you take responsibility for your response to difficult situations.

Commit your life afresh to God and to follow the paths of righteousness.  Ask God to help you to live life according to His will, His plan, His Word and every day to come. Thank Him in Name of Jesus.