ANGER: The Animal's Fury

Ever wonder why you can't control your anger? It's because there is a deadly animal inside you, tearing you apart. It's that part of you that says things that deeply hurt the people you love even though you don't really want to hurt them.

It's whatever produces the dark side of you - the bitterness, self-destructive thoughts, adulterous inclinations, and the anger. This is the side of you that you hate. The people you love hate it and God hates it, but you seem powerless to fight it off.

Jesus describes exactly who this animal is. He said in John 8:34 , "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin." Sin is this untamable monster inside of us and the Bible is very blunt when it describes what this animal will ultimately do to us. "Sin when it is full grown gives birth to death." The wild animal of sin is a killer. It can kill your relationships, self-respect, reputation, future, and ultimately it can take you to hell.

You're helplessly at the mercy of this killer animal except that someone intervened - someone who loves you like no one has ever loved you. In God's own words in 1 John 4:10 , "This is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin."

God knew that you could not survive the fury of this animal called sin, so Jesus turned all the fury of the animal on Himself when He died on the cross. The death He took on Himself wasn't just physical; it was the agony of an eternal hell. The amazing part is that He lives today and He has won the fight!

This incredible rescue could reach you this very day at the moment you put all your trust in this Savior to be your Savior. You know the power and the fury of the animal of sin. It's time you experienced the rescue of the One who loved you so much that He willingly turned the fury of sin on Himself.

ANGER: Volcano Scars

When you're angry, you're probably a lot like a volcano. You erupt, spew out your lava, and often blow away a piece of the other person, if not yourself.

Every one of us carries around parts of us that have been mortally wounded by something someone said to us in anger. They may have forgotten it, but we can't ever forget it because those create volcano scars. Why do we do this to other people and usually the people we love the most?

Proverbs 12:18 says, "Reckless words pierce like a sword." That's the awesome power of our angry, irresponsible words. Proverbs 18:21 says that "The tongue has the power of life and death." We can say things that make a person feel more alive or that make them feel dead inside. You've had it happen to you, haven't you?

The Bible pays a high tribute to a person who's under control. Proverbs 16:32 says, "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." That's real manhood.

If you're tired of erupting and leaving volcano scars on people, maybe it's time to follow the steps to becoming an extinct volcano:

1. Confess your anger and your reckless words as the sin that they really are. Bring it to Jesus' cross and treat it as some of the ugly sin that literally killed our Savior. Then confess it to the victims of your anger.
2. Don't let the lava build up; deal with issues right away.
3. Make yourself listen and ask questions before you speak. James 1:19 says, "Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." If you listen, you'll be slower to have anger.
4. Don't say anything at all until you're under control.
5. Make Jesus Christ the Lord of the raging animal inside you. We've all got one. That's the uncontrollable parts of us that are constant reminders that we need a Savior.

Give it to Him for this new day. If volcanoes could think, maybe they'd think twice about blowing their top. The volcano might reason, "You know, maybe I'll feel better for a while, but is it worth blowing away a part of myself? Is it worth blowing away a part of a person I love?" Well, when we think about it, we know it's not worth it. The tongue has the power of life and death and "reckless words pierce like a sword." Haven't we left enough volcano scars?