Monday, October 24, 2011

Anger Management.

Anger management.  What, exactly is meant by it?
I am meant to believe that we are supposed to somehow manage our anger.  If I am wrong, I humbly ask for proper correction.  I am all in favor of learning this to make me a better Christian.
However, what is the standard of it?  Are we all meant to control our anger in a way that only society can approve of?  If so, what is that standard, and how can everyone live up to it?
My problem with anger is kind of three fold: my father was violent and abusive, and even if he were alive today, he would be bigger and tougher than many pro wrestlers and football players.  He also loved to fight, so my chances of striking back at him were abysmal at best.
The second fold is being bullied and ostracized at school.  I survived it, and harbor no ill feelings towards those who bullied me (I also pray for the one who bullied me the most every day).  Whether I have truly let go of it, only God can tell.
The third problem is my own attitude.  I have always held the opinion that if I do not strike out in a physical way, I have managed my anger, at least to some degree.  I do not think I am wrong.
However, what exactly are we to do according to society, and according to God?   I think there are two different answers, and a collision is inevitable.
Society seems to want to tell me that I am the problem.  My anger is my own inability to deal with stressful situations.  My anger is only my fault, because only I can control it.  Well, ok, I can buy into the last part of that last statement.  What I can not buy into is that my anger is entirely my own problem.  If it were, how do we explain righteous anger?  If anger is only our problem, then righteous anger is a fallacy; I see that as the only logical conclusion.
I can not see Jesus and His anger in the temple as His fault.  I can not see His denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees as His inability to control Himself.  How can we say it is unjust to be angry at that which contradicts God's word?
So now, I ask if I am wrong to be angry at someone who, for example, constantly interrupts me when I am speaking, especially about my anger or my feelings.  After all, unlike anyone else in my family, interrupting me is a huge deal, for many reasons; I find it disrespectful, and I find it distracting from the matter at hand.  Further, when it comes to my anger, I make no secret of being interrupted as one of my biggest pet peeves; if we are in a discussion, all you need to do is continuously interrupt me to make me boil, and without using those exact words, I do not hide that from anyone.  Perhaps it is why I do better writing than in a conversation.
So what do I do?  Do I express my anger, and make the temptation to allow it to rule me, or do I sit in silence and try to calm down, where sometimes it can have a deleterious effect on my health?  Actually, even venting my anger can be deleterious to my health.
So, I give my anger to God.  That angers some people, especially those who are angry with me from time to time.  Make no mistake; I am perfectly capable of angering someone, and in the past, I have been known to do so purposely.  For that, I ask forgiveness.  However, how can I give my anger to God when I am told that I am avoiding the issue, or that I refuse to deal with them?  Therein lies the paradox.  We can not give our anger to God without the silent meditation of prayer, and in silence, we run the risk of being told we have a problem in dealing with our anger.  How convenient for some, and another source of some mild anger for me.
Here is another paradox; we are advised to speak about how we feel.  I believe the phrase is "get in touch with our feelings".  As arrogant is this may sound from me, and God forgive me, a sinner, that is rich.  I am already in touch with that feeling; I am angry!  Did they miss that?  Why I am angry is also not a problem in communication.  I have a good command of the vocabulary, and can even be eloquent on occasion.  I will tell you why I am angry in any given circumstance.  I may not always be pleasant about it, but the message is clear enough.
What I think the big problem is with my anger is that some people will never accept what it is that angers me.  Sure, I am supposed to forgive, but does that mean others can provoke without impunity? 
I do not believe that is true.  Jesus was certainly provoked at the temple.  He was certainly provoked by the Pharisees.  He had no problem allowing His righteous anger to show.  He had no problem in communicating the consequences of God's wrath.  He had no problem forgiving, either.
Most psychology books I read on the subject of anger tell me that it is neither a positive or a negative emotion.  I think that statement is well meaning, but incorrect.  Anger lets you know there is something wrong with the situation you are in.  When something is wrong, it is then we must turn to God the most lest we stray off the path we are stumbling on.   I have yet to see that in any psychology book or hear it from anyone who tells me I have anger management problems, except for the priests who counsel me.
So what do I do?  As I say, I am open to suggestion.  Please, though, don't interupt me.

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