Dropping Anger And Sprouting Joy

Hello friends and welcome to Blogtober. This year’s concept is an autumnal metaphor that I came up with: In fall, trees drop dry, decaying leaves that are not beneficial to the tree. In the same manner, uswhobelieve, can drop things (at the feet of Jesus) that are not beneficial. And, just as the trees sprout new leaves, we can replace our ‘dead leaves’ with good.

Our ‘dead leaf’ that we can drop today is: Anger.

Google defines anger as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. All these things can be nipped in the bud with friendliness, grace, love, compassion, and pleasant words. For as the Bible says:

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 15:1

And this is, in fact, what God shows us:

But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, show to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.

Psalm 86:15

We should strive to be like this - to be slow to anger:

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

Ecclesiastes 7:9

Not quickly provoked, but quick to listen.

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

Anger doesn’t produce anything of use so let’s get rid of all forms of malice, instead, let us be full of grace, just like Christ.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind a compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:31

When we ditch malice is when we can put our energy into things of use: like joy! Our ‘leaf’ of anger has fallen away and now we can sprout joy. After all…

There is always joy to be found and joy to be had.