Anger management!

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger~ Proverbs 15:1
In the past few years there was a movie with Jack Nicholson as a therapist who helped folks with their anger issues by provoking them to be more angry, and then using that as an object lesson. Actually, in real life--not the life portrayed by movies, our inner life is the "controller" of our own anger issues.
When you feel angry towards someone and want to say something unkind(or for me--the response is usually sarcastic), that is all the more reason to speak kindly. If someone provokes you and you respond with anger, you are reinforcing anger as a part of your personality. Through much life experience, I know this to be true, always.

Our best response to angry behavior is to relaize that by controlling our anger, we are benefitting ourselves. So returning kindness for unkindness is not simply being kind to that particular person. You're being kinder to yourself, because you are undoing a compulsion, taking one more step towards being free. You are turning wrath away from yourself, as well as being kind to the other person. It is as Gurdjieff taught: "I have a right NOT to be negative."

The deconditioning process is straightforward enough: when anger comes up, don't act on it. When it tries to tell you what to do, say no. Repeat the mantram("Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me"), go out for a long, brisk walk if possible, and throw yourself into hard, concentrated work, preferably for the benefit of others. When you can shift your attention to your work or to the mantram, which is a short prayer, really, you have shifted it away from the anger.
Immediately the anger-tendency is weakened a little. This is true behavior modification. Over time, and with lots of practice, it works.
James warned his church....of this issue in verse 19-20 of chapter 1 of his epistle...
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

As usual, James the pastor, cuts to the chase, and gets to the heart of the matter. I still have anger management problems, so I must be diligent to make certain that I am working on them.

Now to practice!

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