Solutions and Antidotes for Anger - Jonah 4:1-11
Quote:Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame.
B. Franklin.
Quote: The fastest horse cannot catch a word spoken in anger.
Chinese Proverb in Bits & Pieces, July 25, 1992, p. 5.
1. Remember God’s mercies on me - vs 6. Failure to remember the mercies of the Lord leads us to pride, selfishness and over reactions.
2. Remember God’s mercies on my own people. - vs. 11. Thank God for the mercies given to all of the people in your community, church and family.
3. Remember God’s desire to be merciful to the lost and those who are yet to know Christ as Savior and Lord - vs. 11. Failure to remember that God wants to show His love to those who need it most is often a chief reason why people get angry.
4. Focus more on His gracious and compassionate love who is slow to anger and filling with unfailing mercy. - vs. 2 Thank God and praise Him that He is compassionate and caring and patient with us as He accepts us with our deficiencies.
5. Surrender all things, including your pride, desires and expectations to the Lord. Give up your own sense of self-righteousness and let God sovereignly reign over all things and all people. vs 4.
6. Fear God for what He can do to you and others. vs 7,8. Fear the Lord you His saints, for to those who fear Him there is no want.
7. Remember that if you do not stop pouting and remaining sullen in your disposition that bitterness will cause you to self-destruct. vs. 7,8 Anger and bitterness are roots that have defiled many. (Heb. 12:15 )
8. Do not be more concerned about your own reputation, feelings and interests than those of Christ Jesus. vs. 3. He will lead you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
9. Use disappointments to teach you more about God’s mercies, power and ability to exhibit His greatness over any problem. vs. 2-4. Whoever believes and trusts in Him will not be disappointed. (Rom. 5)
10. Use every tragedy and heartache and problem as a way of allowing the Spirit of God to turn a negative into a positive for His greater purposes and kingdom’s sake. vs. 1,2
11. Know that God is the only one who is always right 100% of the time. vs. 1-4 Be willing to admit that you constantly need improving so be humble and teachable.
12. Fear God as anyone who rebels against Him and His will faces His wrath and opposition. I Pet. 5:5,6. He opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
13. Praise God that He is the owner, creator and controller of everything. Thank Him for His ability to work all things together for good as we love Him and fit into His plans. (Rom. 8:28,29)
14. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks, even if you do not understand the importance of doing it at the time. (I Thes. 5:16-18)Be kind to everyone as He commanded us. Put away anger, jealousy and wrath. Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven us. (Eph. 4:28-32)
15. Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. For the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God. (James 1:19) Overcome any tendency to become angry by overcoming evil (From within and from without) with good (His graciousness, kindness, and forbearance)
Illustration: Angry cynical people die young. Men who score high for hostility on standard tests are four times more likely to die prematurely than men whose scores are low.
Bottom Line, quoted in Homemade, February 1989.
