Manly Men | Angered

— Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered.  Proverbs 22:24

“I have a short fuse. That’s just how I am.” Some people are so comfortable with their anger, they’ve elevated it to a virtue. “Because I’m so incredibly special,” they’re actually saying, “I have a right to blow a gasket anytime I want. I can cuss, scream, threaten, break things, or demean you and you should endure it and then get over it because, well…that’s just how I am.”

God’s word says, “That may be how you are, but until you learn to control it, I’m warning everyone else to avoid you!” Anger is an emotion we all experience, but what we do with that anger determines whether it is sin. Our sinful anger is one reason Jesus had to die for us. To continue expressing sinful anger as a Christian is to dishonor His sacrifice. But we justify angry outbursts by saying, “It gets things done.” What we really mean is that we have not earned enough respect to get things done the right way, so we resort to bullying. God says, “Give your anger to me. I know how to fix the situation without your anger. In fact, your tantrums get in the way of accomplishing my purposes” (James 1:20). Don’t befriend an angry person. Don’t BE one.

Final Thought:  Manly men never use anger to bully, control, or demean someone else.

Prayer: Father, I have used anger to make people do what I want them to do. Men in my life did that, so it seems natural to me. But it displeases you and makes me look like a fool. Please forgive me and help me change. In Jesus’ name, Amen.