June Hunt - Anger: Facing the Fire Within

The printed version of this eBook is the Anger: Facing the Fire Within book, ISBN-13: 9781596366411

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Anger: Facing the Fire Within
Copyright 2013 Hope For The Heart
Published by Aspire Press
An imprint of Hendrickson Publishing Group
Rose Publishing, LLC
P.O. Box 3473
Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473 USA
www.HendricksonPublishingGroup.com

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ANGER

Facing the Fire Within

JUNE HUNT

• Teaches those dealing with anger how to act rather than react to tense situations.
• Gives wisdom, tips and insight from June Hunt, one of the world's leading biblical counselors whose life's work has yielded landmark contributions in her field.
• Gives wisdom on how to combat feelings of anger.

Dear friend,

When people see me, they dont see me as an angry person. And most of the time, Im not. Yet, how well I remember that daythe scenario remains vivid in my mind: I opened my friends desk drawer (something I had never done before) to get a few paper clips. Within a few seconds, I was staring at a piece of paper with these words, We dont need any more June Hunts in this world. I was stunnedI was hurtI was frustrated ... I was angry! Just an hour before, the writer of those words had said to me, Im really for you. I want to help you. I want to support you. (Some support!) How deeply the words had cut my heart!

Immediately, I felt intense anger welling up inside me. I knew that if I didnt find a way to reduce the pressure, I would explode onto my friend. So I thought to myself, I need to go outside and jogthat will release my pent-up energy .

Having laced up my tennis shoes, I walked out the front door ready to defeat my anger through my walking/jogging/walking routine. A few moments into my trek, I noticed my arms swinging higher than normal. I even said to myself, This is really unusual!

After 20 minutes, I wasnt feeling any relief. I had expected the jogging to be like releasing a valve on a pressure cooker, but it wasnt workingthe valve over my heart was stuck! In fact, the longer I jogged, the deeper my hurt went. I soon realized whyI had been rehearsing, over and over, how much I had been wronged ... deceived ... betrayed.

Of course, the Bible says, [Love] keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5). This I knew. I certainly was not helping myself.

I remember thinking, Im not feeling any betterI have to do something else. Then I started praying, Lord, teach me to act rather than react. Actually, I said those words over and over: Lord, teach me to act rather than react. Teach me to act rather than react.... Soon I noticed that I was praying those words to the rhythmic pattern of my running as my tennis shoes hit the pavement.

At the end of an hour, my heart was at peace. I was no longer being controlled by that debilitating sense of betrayal. Of course, the initial problem wasnt solvedconfrontation would still be necessary. But I was able to release my anger to the Lord that night, as well as the situation that caused it. Then the next day during the confrontation, my anger did return, but this time I was able to control it rather than let it
control me.

Ever since that day, when I feel a strong sense of anger, if that is if I remember to pray sincerely, Lord, teach me to act rather than react, God gives me His grace and power to weigh my words and speak with self-control.

Today as you look at anger in your own life and look for the answer to anger , I pray that you too will say, Lord, teach me to act rather than react, and then lean on Him for the strength to do it.

Yours in the Lords hope,

P.S. From my simple prayer, born out of anger, came a song. And contained within this song, toward the end, are these words:

When I feel disappointment with no soothing
ointment, and nothing is going my way,
When my heart has been breaking and my soul is
aching, and I have no more words to say.

Im not under illusion, the only solution
is die to my rights each day,
Because Christ is inside me to comfort and guide
me, and His life has taught me to pray.

Lord, teach me to act rather than react,
with Your Spirit in control of me.
Lord, teach me to help rather than hinder,
with the Lord being Lord of me.

Lord, teach me to trust rather than mistrust,
with Your Spirit inside my soul.
Lord, teach me to act rather than react,
I give You complete control.

ANGER

Facing the Fire Within

The day begins like any other day, but ends like no other, for on this day, he gives full vent to his anger and, as a result, finds himself running for his life.

He is part of a mistreated minoritygrievously persecutednot for doing something wrong, but for being perceived as a threat. Raised with privilege in the palace of a king, he had been spared the heartless treatment inflicted on his kinsmen. But watching the injustice day after day and year after year finally becomes too much for him to bear.

When he sees one of his own people suffering an inhumane beating at the hands of an Egyptian, Moses is filled with rage. He snaps. In an instant, he kills the Egyptian and hides the body in the sand. But his angry, impetuous act is not committed in secret. When news of the murder reaches Pharaoh, Moses fears for his life and flees. (See Exodus chapter 2.)

When you look at the life of Moses, you can see both the power and the problems inherent in anger. Has anger ever clouded your judgment to the point that you reacted rashly ... and lived to regret it? Ultimately, you have the choice to act wisely or to react foolishly. In his lifetime, Moses did both . Like him, you too can face the fiery anger within and learn to keep it under control . In doing so, you will demonstrate wisdom because ...

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

INJUSTICE IGNITES ANGER

Understandably, Moses felt anger over the unjust treatment of his Hebrew brothers, but what he did with that anger is what caused all the trouble. Moses allowed his anger to overpower him. Acting on impulse, he committed a crimehe committed murder.

Although he was right about the injustice , he was wrong in his reaction. His hot-blooded volatility revealed how unprepared he was for the task God had planned for him. Consequently, God kept Moses on the back side of a desert for the next 40 years so that he would realize that rescuing his own people in his own way would ultimately fail.

Moses needed to learn this vital lesson well to become the leader through whom God would accomplish His own will in His own supernatural way . In truth, Moses had tried to earn the Israelites respect by coming to their rescue. Instead, his murderous rage earned only their disrespect.