Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy

Welcome to Day 1158 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Move Away From Anger – Ask Gramps

Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before.

Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1158 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series.

Each Friday, we ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life, and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.

We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.

So the question for this week is…

“Hey, Gramps, I desire to be a patient and kind person, but there are times when it seems my anger gets the better of me, and I lash out, only to feel defeated afterward. Do you have any wisdom to help me control my anger?”

Move Away From Anger

I believe that all of us have an issue with anger. There may be times and seasons when it is harder to control, but it still is possible to live a life in which we control our anger or direct our anger in a constructive and beneficial direction. Some people don’t seem to get angry on the surface, but underneath their calm demeanor is a boiling cauldron of rage that is likely to explode. Others become very passive/aggressive with their anger, which can be just as destructive to those who are on the receiving end of it.

There was a man who tried to defend his bad temper by saying, “I explode, and then it’s over with.” It may be to that person, but just like a volcano, that man does not understand or realize that his anger leaves behind a path of carnage.

As Aristotle once wrote, “Anyone can get angry…but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for everyone, nor is it easy.” I would say that is very true. Few are the persons that can fill all of those categories.

The Apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians 4:26-27, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,  for anger gives a foothold to the devil.”

God does permit us to be angry on certain occasions. In other words, it is not always sinful to experience or even display anger, but in the same verse, Paul warns us not to let our anger lead us to sin. Anger can be so destructive because actions taken and words spoken in anger cannot be taken back, nor is the damage easy to repair. Anger gives the devil a foothold in our lives that if allowed to continue will destroy us and those with whom we become angry.

We need to allow God’s Holy Spirit, who resides within us to warn us when our anger becomes sinful, so we can avoid those situations. This is usually more obvious to others, than it may even be to ourselves. We may need to allow those close to us to help us with this. Bursts of temper resulting in rage, lack of control, the desire to hurt another person, and profanity are not righteous anger. Far from it.

So how can we be angry without sinning? In addition to praying for God’s help, there are some things we can keep in mind. First, when we feel anger welling up within us, we need to focus on the problem, not the person. Second, we should reprove the situation without rejecting the person. Third, we should avoid using exaggerated statements like always and never.

Anger is a normal emotion, but we are fully responsible for how we handle it. We need the Spirit’s gift of self-control to help us deal with our anger.

Proverbs [29:11]

Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.

Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.

If you would like to listen to any of the past 1157 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.

Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most importantly, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.

As we take this trek together, let us always:

1. Live Abundantly (Fully)
2. Love Unconditionally
3. Listen Intentionally
4. Learn Continuously
5. Lend to others Generously
6. Lead with Integrity
7. Leave a Living Legacy Each Day

I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!