“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”   Ephesians 4:31-32 (NASB)

I entered the room just in time to see the printer fall, slamming to the floor and breaking. Prior to this, I heard the increasing frustration in my husband’s voice as he battled with the machine trying to get it to produce just one printed page. Consequently, the struggle proved a stalemate until, in a moment of complete dismay, my husband decided to end the standoff once and for all.

Looking over the debris in the moments after the crash, we shared various feelings like “well it didn’t work anyway” and “now we don’t have a printer at all” and “wonder how much it will cost to replace that.”

How many times do we do this in our lives? No, not kill a printer – but how often do we let feelings of frustration and anger take over? We let it take over our thoughts and our actions. How often do we throw our hands up and walk away from the things or people who frustrate us? Probably more often than we care to admit I am sure.

Oh, I like to think I am the calm, level-headed one in our home. Yet, I have those times when anger consumes me as well. You usually won’t see me standing over a broken printer but I let anger and frustration manifest in different – yet still as destructive – ways in my life. 

I let anger build up, taking a toll on my inner being. Even though anger generally does not take over my actions in the moment, it holds my thoughts hostage.

Anger is a complex emotion. Some people are able to get angry and let it go and others hold on to it for a while. Either way when we let anger take over for even that moment, we damage things – like with the printer. On a broad scale we can damage things, people, ourselves, and relationships. Sometimes the damage can be repaired and at other times unfortunately it can’t.

God longs to help us with the anger and frustration in our lives.

First, you need to examine your life. What’s broken? Identify where you need help and then all you need to do is ask for it. Ask God to help you in this area of your life.

God can help. He can help you control or even replace your anger. He can even help you repair your broken printers.

Today, pray for self control and restoration. Give God your anger. Put those things, people, and situations that frustrate you in His Hands. 

Putting things in God’s hands will keep them from falling out of yours. 

“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing;”

Psalms 37:8 (NASB)