Ephesians 4:26 KJV Be ye angry, and sin not:

Summertime is upon us, and I always have mixed emotions about this. I am never happy about the hot and humid weather that always comes with a Tennessee summer, but there are other things I do enjoy because it is warmer outside.

One of those things is grilling steaks out on the patio, but, if I am being honest, I have not always been the best at this. In fact, early on in our marriage, I was terrible at the grill. I produced charcoaled outside, raw inside, culinary disasters! I paid no attention to temperature, thickness of meat, distance from the heat source, and especially the importance of using the lid! I am happy to say that I have become pretty good at grilling steaks these days. What I have come to realize is that using the grill lid helps control the amount of oxygen flow and allows me to regulate the temperature while grilling. This gives me the power to transform raw meat into gilled perfection!

I have also learned the ability, through the Holy Ghost that lives in me, to put the lid on my anger so that it can become a productive force in my life. If I leave my anger unchecked, it has the ability to spill out of control and have a negative impact on every area of my life. It occurred to me one day many years ago when reading Ephesians chapter 4 that it was okay to be angry. Anger itself is a God given emotion, but like all emotions, it must be kept in check. Paul gives us instructions to be angry and sin not, because the temptation will be to allow the anger to go unchecked, and that will lead us down the path to sin.

So, how does one keep the lid on anger? I have learned that one of the keys to this is to be slow to anger. The Bible says in Psalm 103:8 (KJV) “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy”. If I follow His example of being slow to anger, I will have time to pray and evaluate the situation. I can ask Him if my emotion is really justified or if I am simply allowing myself to get worked up over something that is not a big deal. Is it even worth the energy I am putting into it?

I have found by combining prayer along with the ability to put a lid on my anger, I have the capability to redirect myself, and it opens the door to positive outcomes.