DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE ANGRY?

 DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE ANGRY?

 One of the most intriguing sights to behold is an individual who is completely caught up in a whirlpool of anger.  I love what Ben Franklin wrote about it.  “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.” 

 Anger is somewhat fascinating since it is a flaw that feels somewhat satisfying when you fully surrender to it.  In his book, “Wishful Thinking Transformed by Thorns,” Frederick Buechner writes, “Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun.  To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back--in many ways it is a feast fit for a king.  The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself.  The skeleton at the feast is you.”  Hmm…pardon the pun, but that’s quite a mouthful to ponder.

 Allow me a moment of transparency.  In earlier days, I suffered from what ‘felt’ like inevitable appointments with anger.  In later years, I learned a priceless life lesson about self-control.  That is, in any situation you lose when you allow another person sufficient control of your temperament to produce attitudes or actions outside of your core character.  Uncontrollable anger is a destructive undertaking which only earns a fool’s reward.

 Continual anger even has a detrimental impact on health.  Doctors from Coral Gables, Florida compared the efficiency of the heart’s pumping action in 18 men with coronary artery disease to nine healthy control subjects.  Each of the study participants underwent one physical stress test (riding an exercise bicycle) and three mental stress tests (doing math problems in their heads, recalling a recent incident that had made them angry, and giving a short speech to defend against a hypothetical charge of shoplifting).  Using advanced radiology, the doctors examined the subjects’ hearts in action during these tests.  For all the subjects, anger reduced the amount of blood that the heart pumped to body tissues more than the other tests, but this was especially true for those who had heart disease.  They found anger to be much more potent and harmful than fear or other kinds of mental stress.  

 One of our wisest presidents, Abraham Lincoln, offered helpful counsel to his secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, who had been angered by an army officer who accused him of favoritism.  Stanton complained about this to Lincoln, who suggested that he write that officer a very sharp letter.  Stanton did so, and showed the strongly worded missive to the president.  “What are you going to do with it?” Lincoln inquired.  Surprised, Stanton replied, “Send it, of course!"  Lincoln shook his head. “You don't want to send that letter,” he said.  “Put it in the stove.  That’s what I do when I’ve written a letter while I’m angry.  It’s a good letter, Edwin, and you had a good time writing it.  You feel better.  Now burn it, and write another.”  Sage advice.

 My friend, before you press down on the accelerator of your mouth, always engage the clutch of your heart and apply the brakes of your brain.  You’ll live much longer and more peacefully.

 Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!