5 Verses That Will Cool You Down

I don't know about you, but sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me and I do not like it one bit. When I lose my temper or allow frustration and anger get the best of me, I am letting the enemy have a foothold in my life and he wins. Oh no. Oh no. That is definitely NOT what I want in my life. I want the Holy Spirit to change my heart, from the inside out. I want to show those around me the love of Jesus through my actions and my words. Meditating on these verses has helped me allow God to transform my thoughts and responses before I do something or say something I regret. 

1. Ephesians 4:26

"In your anger, do not sin; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."

 It is alright to feel the emotion of anger, but do not do anything while you are angry that you will regret. Don’t do something to someone to get revenge or do something that you will be ashamed of later. I don’t know about you but, that sentence after the colon is very important to me. “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”. If that doesn’t encourage you to give your anger over to God as soon as possible, I don’t know what will.

2. Proverbs 29:11

 " Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end."

Ouch! Dear one, that stung a bit when I read it. Let me tell you why. I am the world’s worst about complaining. I have prayed about it and I am working on it but holding my feelings in isn’t something that comes easy for me. If I am angry, the first thing I want to do is grab my phone and text my girlfriend all about it. Come on, I can’t be the only one, right? Whether I like it or not, the Bible says that a fool vents their rage. Wise people remain quiet and bring peace. I don’t know about you but, I’d like to be thought of as wise ESPECIALLY in Jesus’ mind!.

3. James 1:19-20

"You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger doesn't produce the good fruit that God desires."

Alright, so according to the Bible not only do I have to listen to individuals and hold my tongue, I must also be slow to get angry with them. Now, does this mean I need to just be a silent mat for someone to walk all over? Goodness, no! What it does mean is that I should listen to people, hear them out, and then try not to get angry with them. Now, we are human so again we can feel the emotion of anger but it’s what we do with the anger that is important. What we need to do is give it to God! “Vengeance is mine says the Lord” (see Romans 12:19).

4. Proverbs 14:29

 “Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes.

Who likes to make mistakes? I don’t. I want to do the best that I can in life. Of course I won’t be perfect but I want to do my best no matter what I am working on. Someone who is able to take control of their anger will be able to take instruction and will become wise but those who get angry quick will make mistakes. If you get angry quickly and react in a bad way, it’s bound to mess up things. I know I’ve said this a lot but what’s better than getting angry quickly and reacting in a bad way? Turning it over to God (preaching to myself here).

5. Ephesians 4:31-32

 " Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  ³²  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

As Christ followers, we are called to “get rid of” all rage and anger. We are told to not just stop there but get rid of any kind of malicious behavior as well. We are called to be “kind and compassionate” to others. Christ asks us to “forgive them” just like he forgave us. Wow, this really hits home. Jesus loved me and willingly died for me knowing I would do things that would break his heart. He loved me in spite of me doing things that could make anyone angry with me. If Jesus could forgive me knowing the wrong that I would do and I want to be like him, it would follow that I would forgive those who make me angry as well. Even though there are times when people will push our buttons and we will get angry, we must be slow to react in anger, quick to forgive, and we must hand our anger over to God and not hold a grudge. If we do these things, we will be blessed.

I hope these verses encourage you as much as they do me. I want to do all that I can to keep the love 'on' with all those around me. Doing so will show others the kind of love Jesus has for them. 

Love & Grace, 

Brit