- When was a time your anger caused you to do something you’ve regretted?
- What are warning signs that show you that your anger is boiling up?
- Where in your body do you feel anger?
- On any given day, we all have experienced stress. It may have lasted a moment as you are driving down the road and suddenly must hit your brakes for a deer running right in front of you or a child whose ball bounced into the road, or a careless driver who cut you off. Your stress may have lasted a few days as you sought to finish your final paper or a significant project for work. Maybe your stress lasts for weeks or even months as a result of experiencing a divorce, the death of a loved one, or financial struggles. At some point in life, we all have experienced stress.
- Stress is a physical or emotional tension we feel that arises from an experience that causes us to become angry, frustrated, nervous and experience different levels of anxiety. Stress can be either good or toxic. It can be good when you’ve just been hired for a new job or a promotion, or toxic as when we experience challenges that are frequent, overwhelming and continued. Examples of toxic stress may include experiencing abuse, neglect, or violence.
- It is important that we properly manage our stress levels and reduce toxic stress as much as possible. Toxic stress may cause us anger, driving us to act in ways we would later regret. For this reason, the Bible advises that it is OK to be angry, angry at injustice, angry at oppression, angry when evil has been done. However, while we may have the right to be angry, we should not use our anger as fuel for vengeance.
- This study will review the story of Cain and Abel and how toxic stress can affect our judgment causing us to act irrationally and do things out of anger (Ephesians 4:26-27). But with God’s help we have tools to help us reduce toxic stress and find peace.
- Genesis 4:1-16
- Ephesians 4:26-27
Read Genesis 4:1-5: What kind of a sacrifice did Abel offer to God?
Read Genesis 4:1-5: What kind of sacrifice did Cain offer to God?
Read Genesis 4:5-8: What was the cause of Cain’s anger?
THE CHALLENGE
Take time this week to identify where in your body you feel anger and develop a plan to control that anger.
PRAYER
Dear God, I have experienced pain and frustration, and as a result I have developed an anger within me. I am angry when things do not go my way. I am angry when I experience heartbreak, pain, or loss. Sometimes I am angry over little things and act in a way that I end up regretting my decisions. God, I ask you today to help me control my anger. Help me to learn to calm myself down when I feel a rise in pressure. Lord, today I pray that You forgive me for hurting people because of my anger. Save me, O God, in spite of myself and my weakness. Help me to become patient and kind and slow to anger. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!