Be still and know that I am God.
Have you ever really sat down and read the book of psalms?
David wrote them (there's over 100), and he wrote about nearly every possible topic in his love.
David is certainly not perfect (murder, adultery, etc.)...but he is still described as "a man after God's own heart."
Why?
He was in a lot of ways brash, hotheaded, impulsive and probably quick to emotions like anger. Many of his decisions were foolish and some were malicious in the extreme. It seems rather obvious that several of his decisions disappointed or even angered the Lord.
Yet this man is the ONLY person in all of the Bible other than those of the specific priest-family line chosen who was able to lay hands on the Ark - the very Seat of God most High - and not die.
Why?
Whatever was going on with David, he shared it with God. Happy or sad, angry or joyful, while he was doing good or when he'd done wrong, he was INTIMATELY connected to his Lord at all times. There was almost nothing David didn't bring to God. Even though this deep connection did not prevent David from sinning on occasion, it allowed him to be greatly favored and amazingly blessed.
God doesn't want us to try to be perfect unto ourselves. We can't be - not on our own. If we could, there would have been no need for Christ.
But God does want us to be connected to Him - deeply. Yet so many Christians will sit at coffee with coworkers and have far more intimate discussions than they have with God. He wants to be our *closest* friend...but many of us treat Him like an intimidating CEO.
But David didn't approach the Lord as this far away Sovereign on some spooky throne.
He simply spoke plainly, perhaps as an adult son to a father.
He spoke of his hopes, fears, desires, needs, dreams and ambitions.
He spoke of his joy, pain, sorrow, doubt, and lamentations.
In his most lamenting psalms, he is most childlike - simply curling up to the Father and saying poetic lines that boil down to "I hurt!" -- and by the end of those psalms he is usually feeling better and praising God. Every five year old knows the instinct to run to Daddy crying. Why we think we're supposed to just "get over" that completely as we age is beyond me.
Some things hurt. Some things frustrate. Some things frighten.
But our Daddy God (and make no mistake, the intimacy of "Abba" is much closer to "Daddy" than "Father") is always there to comfort us.
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I told you all that to tell you this:
Do not be ashamed of your anger. You are not your feelings. Anger is a biochemical response to a sense of threat. It's an alarm. Treat it as such and move on.
When you feel anger, and you find yourself gritting your teeth at the actions of others, simply take a moment to tell your most trusted Friend:
"Oh Lord...I am ANGRY!"
You will find, that in being willing to "open up" to the Lord honestly about your feelings, you will open the door in your heart to hear Him clearly when He replies:
"I know. But be still...and know (remember) that I am GOD."
See...it doesn't have to be about you. It doesn't have to be you trying to figure out all by yourself how you're going to deal with the situation. He (not you) is GOD (in control). So relax, because whatever is going on, it's not your problem - even if you're in the middle of it. He's promised to take care of you and He will not fail to show you where you need to go or what you need to do to turn the situation the way it needs to go.
Don't focus on *your* imperfections regarding being able to "control" your anger. That's silly - you're fleshy self is imperfect and you're going to feel negative emotions. It was never about what you could get right anyway.
Rather, keep your eyes on Jesus -- His Grace is sufficient and enough for all things and in all cases -- and remember that Christ is within you just as you are in Christ.
And greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
So take it all to God, openly, honestly, and immediately.
"Oh Lord I am ANGRY (fearful, feeling weak, feeling lust, whatever)!"
Just as if you were to say you were thirsty and He would give you drink, or hungry and He would feed you, or tired and He would give you rest ... If you say you are angry, He will give you tranquility. If you say you are afraid He will give you fortitude. If you say you are weak He will give you strength. If you say you are feeling lustful, he will give you peace.
But the same formula Jesus taught us for all things applies here:
ASK, and it will be given...SEEK, and you will find ... KNOCK, and it will be opened to you...
There is in Christ NO CONDEMNATION. He suffered and died on the cross so we could get out from under the lash and yoke of The Accuser (Satan). Don't put yourself back under them by beating yourself up for things you aren't supposed to be equipped to handle all alone anyway.
