Why are the Angry Birds so Angry?

In case you were wondering, here's why: The birds are angry because the green psycho pigs came to their Island and destroyed their house. The red bird tried to warn the other birds that the pigs were up to no good and stole the birds' eggs and were about to eat them. Sounds like some evil pigs but really they aren't evil. They're stuck on a small island and are hungry and those birds' eggs seemed like a sure way to satisfy their hunger. But, of course the Angry Birds are .....well, angry!

I can't say I blame them. Life and stuff often gets on our last nerve and we do our best to hold it in, but sometimes we just can't help otherselves. But, it's okay! In Ephesians 4:26, St. Paul said: "Be angry. but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil." He is actually telling us that we can get angry. He knows that anger is a natural human emotion which, of itself, isn't bad. What does matter is what we do with the anger. I think we've all seen on social media and TV what unharnessed anger looks like. I think the key to anger is "No peace; no God. Know peace; know God."

It's a true matter of the heart. I'll admit I have triggers that if the right buttons are pushed, I can act like an "angry bird". I have come to recognize an acceptable anger. Even Jesus had anger – remember how he was flipping tables when he was disgusted with the money changers denigrating God’s house of prayer?

I’m a work in progress -- consistently managing my behavior and dealing with the areas that need ongoing self-improvement. I want to be that gal that uses anger the right way – a healthy anger that leads to praying for others and finding ways to help others realize their need for a loving God.

Anger can be destructive if it isn't laced with love and respect. It can destroy families, relationships, and even lives. It, often, goes too far. That's where this scripture comes in: Proverbs 6:16-19 “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.” And, we've sure witnessed those seven things, haven't we? Looting, stealing, killing, lying, wicked actions, liars and creators of strife. Those are the things God hates. I sure don't want to be counted in that number so I am constantly giving myself a heart check-up.

Maybe you're like those angry birds today. Injustice, someone stealing from you and mistreating you. I encourage you to ask God to help you work through it. Spend time in prayer asking Him to show you the reasons behind the anger and how to begin to let the anger go to become the best version of yourself that you can be. Be intentional about your words and your thoughts before they spill out and you can't take them back. Ask God to give you peace, calm your heart, and let you speak the truth in love. For those of us who answer to our Father, we can't talk about anger without talking about forgiveness, and that just may be a good place to start.

Got Anger? Name it to Tame it

Road rage. Anger Management. Livid. In your face. Hot-blooded. Had a meltdown. Lost their cool. Flipped out. Threw a fit. Blew a gasket. All we have to do is open up our newsfeed and see that anger -- live and in color! But anger isn't exclusive to politicians and high profile leaders. Even professing followers of Christ are subject to anger. I was amused when I went with a friend to buy a new door for her bathroom. Why? Because anger got the best of her when the door was locked from the inside again. The logical thing to do in that instant? Kick a big hole in the door! NOT!

I read this scripture -- the words of Jesus when He was speaking about murder and anger. “Under the laws of Moses the rule was, ‘If you murder, you must die.’ But I have added to that rule and tell you that if you are ONLY angry, even in your own home, you are in danger of judgment! If you call your friend an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse him, you are in danger of the fires of hell." (Matthew 5:21-22) Lord, have mercy on us!

But, let's be real -- our generation isn't the first to be in need of anger management classes. The truth is that many saints struggled with controlling their anger. Historians think Jesus nicknamed the apostles James and John the “Sons of Thunder” because of their anger. St. Paul was known for his angry outbursts whenever he felt that the gospel he preached was being misunderstood.

In the scripture above, Jesus said uncontrolled anger will reap the same consequences as killing someone. Yikes!! So how can we get our anger under control? The only lasting way is to strive for being "fruit bearers" with the fruit of the Spirit active in our lives. That beautiful fruit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Rather than paying for high dollar psychiatric sessions in anger management, the Holy Spirit gave us FREE fruit to keep us at peace and free of anger!

Who wants to be in the same category of those red-faced, ranting and raving folks who are aligning themselves with the spoiled and bad fruit? I want to be aligned with fully devoted followers of Christ -- striving to be very God-aware and self-aware of those things that trigger anger. Personal confession here. I was blaring my horn yesterday when I nearly ran into a guy who cut in front of me too close in traffic. Honestly, road rage is so easy to come by and I certainly am aware of my need to hone in on the fruit of patience and kindness.

St. Francis recommends saying something as simple as “Have mercy upon me, O Lord.” Prayer and drawing upon the fruit of the Holy Spirit are our number one weapons against anger.
If St. John can go from being a Son of Thunder to an apostle of love by walking with Jesus, so can we. With prayer, and patient perseverance—and the help of the Holy Spirit—we can begin to set aside our anger and become a disciple of love.

“Have mercy on me, O Lord! Help me to turn to you whenever anger rears its head.”