Do You Have Buttons?

The last few months of 2021 I spent learning about anger and how to handle it properly. I was in an unpleasant circumstance which was not easy to deal with, but in hindsight I am so thankful God placed me in that situation because he taught me a lot through it. Perhaps you have heard people use the phrase, "he/she pushes my buttons." This means that the person is probably short fused, their emotions are as breezy as the wind, and they get angry quickly. I’m not talking about righteous anger, or the anger someone feels when they have been wronged. Anger is an emotion everyone experiences and in itself is not wrong. However, it can become sin if we fail to practice self-control and let it get out of hand.  As followers of Christ, we would do well to not even have any "buttons" in the first place that could easily get pushed that cause us to become angry. The Scriptures have quite a bit to say about the topic of anger. Let's look at a few verses. 

 Proverbs 14:17 - "He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated."

Proverbs 14:29 - "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly."

Proverbs 15:1 - "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

Proverbs 15: 18 - "A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife."

1 Corinthians 13:5 ~ talking about love: "Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil:"

Galatians 5:20 ~ talking about the works of the flesh: "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies," 

Ephesians 4:2-3 - "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Ephesians 4:31 - "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

Colossians 3:8 - "But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth."

James 1:19-20 - "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."

1 Peter 2:21-23 - "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:"

1 Peter 3:8-9 - "Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing."

We are not ignorant of Satan's devices; we know he is out to destroy, and allowing anger to get a foothold in our life will quickly cause us to drift away from God. Being quick to get angry is a work of the flesh that needs to be crucified so the fruits of being filled with the Spirit can be evident. Longsuffering is a trait that needs to mark every Christian. So......Forgive readily. Keep short accounts. Love God, and love the brethren. 

Together let’s become better people and a little more like Christ this year by learning to be slow to wrath. 

❤️ Ashley