Vented Anger!

Perhaps we are all familiar with the proverbial statement: “If you’re mad at the dog, don’t kick the cat.” Too often anger and frustration are vented upon the undeserving. However, the tendency is not new to this day and age.

Asa, king of Judah, for the most part was a good king. (2 Chronicles
14:2) He sought after God and led the nation to commit to God as well. ( 2 Chronicles 15:15) When he was faced with an army of a million men and 300 chariots, he relied on the Lord and was given a great victory. (2 Chronicles
14:9-12) Later on, however, he relied upon the help of Ben-hadad, king of Syria, instead of God. ( 2 Chronicles 16:1-4) Asa was confronted by Hanani the seer who rebuked the king for having relied upon the king of Syria instead of the Lord. ( 2 Chronicles 16:7) Being reminded of the earlier victory over the Ethiopians and the Libyans when he had depended upon God, it was pointed out to Asa that from then on he would be at war (2 Chronicles
16:8-9) instead of enjoying the peace earlier experienced. (2 Chronicles
15:15)

So, having acted “foolishly” ( 2 Chronicles 16:9), what was Asa’s response?
“Then Asa was ANGRY WITH THE SEER AND PUT HIM IN THE STOCKS IN PRISON, for he was IN A RAGE WITH HIM because of this. AND ASA INFLICTED CRUELTIES UPON SOME OF THE PEOPLE AT THE SAME TIME.” ( 2 Chronicles 16:10
ESV)

Mad at the dog and kicking the cat! Instead of kicking himself for his foolish decision, Asa vented his rage on God’s messenger and upon some of the people as well. Do we ever find ourselves struggling with the same tendency? Mad about something at school and the anger is vented on a brother or sister! Upset with things at work and the frustration is taken out on the family! Etc.

Perhaps we need to be reminded to humbly focus on James’ admonition.
“(19) Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be QUICK TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK, SLOW TO ANGER; (20) for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.” ( James 1:19-20 ESV)

Rage vented, as in the case of Asa, circumvents the righteousness God desires to be displayed in our life. Such action is a sign we have failed to ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY for our own actions. Therefore, when we are feeling “dogged”, let us not be “catty” with others, especially when failing to HONESTLY ACKNOWLEDGE our own wrong actions. I recently purchased a placard which reads: “TEMPER is what gets most of us in trouble … PRIDE is what keeps us there.” If we need to be mad at ourselves for something, let us be mad at ourselves rather than taking it out on others. May we seek to live righteously by keeping our anger in check.

Have a great day LISTENING HUMBLY AND ACTING RIGHTEOUSLY!
Carl

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