Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Heart
Replacing Anger with Peace
We all have moments where we deal with Anger. We feel it. We know it. We see it on display each and every single day, don’t we? Anger is something WE ALL NEED HELP to overcome.
Anger is often the way we express whatever other pain and tension is going on in our lives.
But not all ANGER is bad. To be angry is not necessarily a sin. There is good and healthy anger. When you align your heart with God’s heart, you will still feel anger. Jesus felt anger. There were things that made Jesus mad. There is a righteous anger, an anger that you feel within because you want the world to be more aligned with Jesus. Your heart aches because you want goodness in the world. But if the righteous anger is aligned with the heart of God, the overflow of it looks much different than the overflow of anger that erupts when we are not aligned with God. That type of anger eats away at our character and fuels the wrong kinds of fire within us.
Do I need to break free from ANGER?
Most likely the answer is YES! We all have moments when we deal with anger. Anger often comes from you – I’m not getting what I want. Something isn’t going the way I want it to go. We all feel this way at one time for another… or at some point in our daily lives. Sound familiar… like PRIDE?
When Anger grabs hold of us, we lose trust, we doubt more, we see people and God through the wrong lens, no longer creating space for sinners to come up short and for God to redeem us. And the one who is damaged most by your anger is you.
Shape Your Heart in a Way To Help Overcome Anger
If you claim to walk with Christ, then you give Christ and his ways priority in your life, pursue the peace of Christ and allow that to RULE in your heart.
- Pursue Humility | Putting the needs of others before your own. It’s not about what you want, but about how you can best help others to see Jesus through your reaction. It’s taking the “I didn’t get what I want” out of it and instead trusting God in his provision.
- Participate In Patience -- don’t react quickly | There is so much power in just slowing down, taking a breath and allowing our brain to catch up to our emotions.
- Practice Forgiveness | Forgive, even when they don’t deserve it. Otherwise that anger will swirl around inside of you and eat you up.
- Plan to Talk It Out | The Bible says it’s not a sin to be angry, it’s what we do with our anger. So, don’t let it linger, don’t let it simmer. Talk it out.
- Proclaim God’s Love for You | Remember Christ loves you, even in your inadequacy. This will help you to love others the same way, to love yourself that same way.
Positive Affirmation
As you go about your week, hold tight to these words. Repeat them as needed to eliminate negative or unhelpful thoughts that may be holding you back.
God loves me even in my times of anger. Today when anger arises, I will take a break, be slow to speak and ask the Holy Spirit to help me navigate the situation so I may handle it more like Christ.
A Prayer for Peace
Consider praying this prayer this week as you work to shape your heart in a way to help you overcome anger:
Heavenly Father,
I am thankful for your love for me. Help me to know it and allow your love and Spirit in my life to reflect your character, being slow to anger and rich in your steadfast love. When anger rises within me, please calm my mind and soothe my heart with your gentle words. Fill my whole life with your perfect peace. Father, don’t let anger win in me, but instead allow your love to take over. I give you praise, the one who saves us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen
Supporting Scripture
No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Luke 6:43-45 | NIV
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 | NIV
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself: it tends only to evil.
Psalm 37:8 | NIV
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15 | NIV
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
James 1:19 | NLT
In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. And do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:26 | NIV
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Romans 7:24-25 | NIV
YouVersion App Bible Reading Plans
Consider going deeper on the habit of anger this week by committing to one of the Bible Reading Plans below.
Experiencing God’s Peace (5-Day Plan)
Working Through Anger (7-Day Plan)
How To Trade Anger for Patience (9-Day Plan)
Peace of Christ (3-Day Plan)
Additional Resources
Book | Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the 7 Greatest Challenges that No One Expects and Everyone Experiences, By Carey Nieuwhof
Book | Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Old Ones, By James Clear