It takes so much energy to be angry at someone. When we allow anger to sit, we carry it around as a dreadful weight. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, anger drags us down. You may not realize you are carrying anger around on your shoulders or inside your heart until one day it surfaces in a demanding crushing way.
In fact, we might not realize it is there until we respond. Deep rooted anger in particular is a hidden trigger.
I have been angry for over a week. It started with Covid 19.
The day I returned from vacation on March 8th to the news of COVID-19 becoming a huge concern for the United States I was surprised by people’s reaction to a pandemic. The attitude of the majority on Facebook or other social media in the U.S. seemed dismissive and uninterested in the early stages. On March 19th, over a week later with numbers piling up, there were still some posting their photos from partying over the weekend without regard for anyone but themselves. It made me angry.
When I read about Italy and it’s overrun hospitals and thousands of deaths in a three week period, I feared some areas were in trouble if people did not listen to the experts ands stay home.
Over the weekend, and after our leaders warned people to stay home and protect the older generation, the cases doubled. Worse, videos of drunk laughing revelers showed up online. Understandably, I was angered by the weekend parties and ridiculous virus challenge games.
I was particularly angered by the irresponsible attitudes and lack of accountability of the stubborn and young toward the lives of our most vulnerable.
The morning of March 19th, when cases approached 10,000, I chose a different response.
Confronted with a person or situation that has wounded us or a loved one in some way, we may go on the attack or we make ourselves ill with anger.
Even if we don’t physically move our body and punch someone, we still have a physical response to confrontation. Chemical, neurological, and or hormonal responses take place. They drain our energy, dampen our happiness. We feel weighted.
I felt weighed down in that way. Still angry, I decided to write to get it out.
Anger eats energy and joy, so we must let it go.
When you consider that everything other people say or do to us (or even for us) is run through our filters of past anger, failed relationships, our personal belief system, and unhealed wounds, you can see how getting rid of the any wounds will help. Some are old wounds, some are new, but they all cause damage.
Clearly, it damages relationships and causes us to carry a chip on our shoulder to leave old wounds where they are and how they are. It creates new damage to let new wounds be made.
Anger is exhausting and debilitating, constantly eating away all the good things in our lives, but there is a solution.
To get relief, take the power from wounds and moments that left you damaged by extending forgiveness.
The answer is always forgiveness.
Forgive them, forgive yourself. Forgive life, God, your kids, your spouse, your parents. We are all just people after all. Forgive and then forgive again.
Ephesians 4:31,32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.…
We are forgiven, but to live a full happy life, we have to also be forgiving. (Read about how our inner Joy is strength.)
Examine your heart for old wounds, new wounds, trigges, and things that still make you angry and let them go.
Take them out of your heart, hold them up to the light of day and let them go. When something surfaces, immediately crush its power by forgiving.
Say it out loud and tell it to go.
Are you angry? Do you live with or share life with someone who is angry? Have you found yourself lashing out at anyone and saying your sorry? Hidden anger can do that. You can let it go though. It may not be clear to you, but you have a choice to keep holding on to something and carrying its weight and ugliness, or not.
It doesn’t mean that it didn’t matter or that the person was not wrong. Forgiveness means allowing yourself to move forward with more joy, less depression. More life, less anger.
Finally, extend forgiveness to keep from hindering your own prayer life. If you have an unanswered prayer, forgiveness is a good start.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.” …
Fight for your life by letting go of anger.
Let’s forgive and do all we can to show our love and concern .
Barefoot and letting go of anger,
Kim
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