Anger, Endurance for the Journey, Featured
TORN TO PIECES
You who tear yourself to pieces in your anger,
is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
JOB 18:4 (NIV) (Bildad – One of Job’s “friends”)
Dr. Gary Oliver gave me a way of dealing with my anger. He introduced me to what he calls “The Anger Curve.” He draws a curved arch and along the ascending line writes, “hurt, frustration, fear.” At the height of the arch goes the word “anger.”
He then explains how many people (including me) don’t register much – if any – emotional connection with their hurt, frustration and fear. They don’t feel anything until they get to the point of anger. Once many guys become angry, they may be unable to stop their heated outbursts.
This tool showed me how to track the origins of my rising anger back to hurt, frustration or fear, and to identify how close I am to the top of the curve. I don’t write out this curve every time I feel anger coming on, but I’ve learned to ask myself, Why am I angry? Is this anger growing out of hurt or frustration or fear?
Go ahead and be angry.
You do well to be angry –
But don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge.
And don’t stay angry.
Don’t go to bed angry.
Don’t give the Devil that kind
of foothold in your life.
EPHESIANS 4:26-27 (THE MESSAGE)
On the journey with you,
Dave Dravecky
