Are You a Mind Reader?

We had a good Community Group last night and we discussed items of anger.  Have you ever thought about the moments of anger in your life?  Do you remember what you were angry about, why it made you angry, and most importantly where did your anger lead?  It usually leads to no good doesn't it?  If we take a look at our anger we might realize it's just an emotion from our selfish will being denied.  What we want to happen, thought was going to happen, planned to happen isn't happening and we respond with an emotion of anger.  The problem isn't the anger (emotion), the problem is what we do with it.

Here are a few thoughts of what to do with it:

1) Be honest and speak the truth (we aren't mind readers after all!) "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully..." [Ephesians 4: 25]

2) Don't let it linger  (does that grudge really get us anywhere?)  "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." [Ephesians 4:26-27]

3) Attack the problem, not the person  (doesn't lashing out just create more problems and give way to a tendency to forget what the initial problem was?)  "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up" "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice" [Ephesians 4: 29,31]

4) Act, not react  (doesn't reaction lead to moments of being almost out of control?)  "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" [Ephesians 4:32]