Anger Management!

Rev. George R. Dillahunty
Freedom Fellowship (COG)
685 Grant Avenue
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452-3047

August 08, 2009

Text: Colossians 3:8 (King James Version)

"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

Topic: Anger Management!

Have you ever said something to someone that you later regretted? In the heat of anger, we sometimes say things that we wish we could take back - however, once it is said, it cannot be recalled - only forgiven! The Holy Bible - the written Word of Almighty God - tells us to get rid of anger!

The Amplified Bible (AV) records our Holy Scripture text, for today, in this fashion: "But now put away and rid yourselves (completely) of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!"

The New Living Translation (NLT), records our text this way: "But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language."

The Message Bible (MSG), records our text like this: "But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk."

The late great English entertainer, comedy writer, comedian, actor, and professional speaker, Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse (1928 - 2003), in his book entitled, "Just Say A Few Words: The Complete Speaker’s Handbook," tells us that he got angry at the manager of his local dry cleaners; and, that he expressed his anger quite forcefully. He realized later that, more than likely, he did not leave the manager with a very favorable impression!

He knows that because recently he put a red ballpoint pen in the breast pocket of his white shirt and forgot to put the cap on it. It made a ghastly red stain with a dark center all over the pocket. His wife said, "It won’t wash out, I’ll try the dry cleaners."

So, his wife took the shirt to the very same dry cleaners where her husband had exploded at the manager! The manager took a long, slow look at the dark red stain on the front of the shirt; and, then, looking sideways at the wife said quietly, "Good shot!"

A story is told of a man who got into the bad habit of cursing all the time. Every time he got angry, he let out a phrase that he should have kept to himself! After he had let out a tirade in the presence of his young son who immediately echoed back some of his choice words, he decided that he needed to get rid of his vile habit; and, he went to his pastor for help!

His pastor told him that every time he got angry, he should try singing a hymn - that way, he would not express his anger in an inappropriate way! The young father said that he would try it; but, he said, "I don’t know many hymns." So, the pastor gave him a hymn book to use - the man took it and tried the pastor’s suggestion!

Within a couple of weeks, the young father came back to the pastor. The pastor said, "How are you doing?" The young father replied, "I’m doing pretty well!" The pastor said, "That’s great!" The young father said, "There is only one problem however!" The pastor asked, "What is that?" The young father replied, "I have run out of songs and I’m ready for a new hymn book!" I would say that the young father had a real serious cursing habit, wouldn’t you?

In Ephesians 4:30 (KJV), the Apostle Paul