Anger Management: 101


Ever have them get your order wrong at a Drive-Thru? You order a chicken sandwich, onion rings, and a chocolate shake, and pull off to discover a cheeseburger, fries, and your shake is strawberry? Or the chicken nuggets your toddler is calling for aren’t in the bag? These can be frustrting moments. Especially if you have to go inside, or loop back through a long drive-thru line. 

 I’m not sure what happened to Joshua James of Jupiter, Florida. Perhaps he asked for no onions, and they left them on his burger? Whatever it was he returned and threw a 3 1/2 foot alligator through the drive-thru window. He’s now facing a host of criminal charges. Turns out you’re not allowed to do that in Jupiter.

What makes you mad? 
The kids?
A coworker?
Your neighbor?
Having someone throw an alligator at you?
Everybody gets angry. 
It's what we do with it that matters.

James wrote about our response in these verses. "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” James 1:19-20 NIV.

You reverse the order to find what comes naturally. Human nature leads us to be quick to become angry, quick to speak, and slow to listen. This order doesn't produce the righteousness of God in our lives, however, and it's the kingdom of God and its' righteousness that Jesus taught us to seek first.

When someone pushes your buttons, as we say, try the order that James gives us. Let's slow down, and allow the righteousness of God to be produced in our lives. Save your anger for matters of righteousness. Get angry because children are kidnapped and sold into slavery, not because the cook put mayo on your sandwich when you said mustard. Be sure that what you're angry about really matters, which requires slowing down a bit. 

When you do you'll be glad you did, and so will everyone else around you.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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