Episode 39: How I Deal with Anger

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Today's reflection is not an easy one for me to share, because I'm personally struggling through it, like right now, as I type this, I'm angry. There's a righteous anger, a just anger, an anger that can spur us toward righteous action and compassion.

But there's also an anger that will lead to bitterness, division, and hatred. This anger is where bridges get burned, relationships are left in disarray, and we simply are left a mess.

I'm teetering.  The struggle is real.

So I watched this movie the other night called Free Burma Rangers (mind you this was my second time watching this movie, I think this was the last movie I watched in theaters before COVID. ) FBR is an incredible documentary, a must watch for all.

In brief Dave Eubank, and his wife Karen,  have dedicated their lives to help others in war-torn countries: Burma, Syria, and Iraq. They go in to help the injured AND to share the story of what is actually happening and how innocent people are dying due to horrific evil.

They know the enemy. They have seen the effects of the enemy. And at one point Dave admits wanting to kill the enemy, which I think we all would consider a justified thought.

However, Dave said that if he acted on that thought, that anger would have led him down a dark path, so instead he choose to continue to love his enemies, pray for them, and help those who encounter their path of destruction.

I tell you, I'm a fighter. When I get hurt, I can hurt back, wall up, or push away. Loving someone who has hurt me, it ain't easy. Loving someone who hurts someone else, ohh man world watch out, because that enrages me. Bitterness is an easier drug to turn to, a short term remedy. But long term? It kills. It begins to destroy a person from the inside out.

Guys, I'm on a journey. I haven't arrived. But I'm trying to choose love. I'm trying to do the right thing and love, through actions, people who have wounded me. I'm trying to turn my anger into compassion. Are boundaries necessary? Absolutely, especially if repentance hasn't taken place. Is wisdom essential? It's critical. We don't walk into a war without knowledge and a plan. We do need to do what's necessary to protect ourselves and those around us. But when faced with anger or love, may we continue to choose love, the action of love, to help our persecutor, to pray for their well being, and to help those who have been wounded in their path.

Ephesians 4:31-32