WEBVTT 00:00:01.129 --> 00:00:03.669 When you think of anger, do you almost always 00:00:03.669 --> 00:00:06.750 think it's bad or wrong? Well, I've got news 00:00:06.750 --> 00:00:10.769 for you. God actually commands us to be good 00:00:10.769 --> 00:00:14.710 and mad. There's times when you ought to be angry. 00:00:14.949 --> 00:00:17.670 Some people listening to my voice right now feel 00:00:17.670 --> 00:00:20.489 guilty about being angry, and God wants you to 00:00:20.489 --> 00:00:23.649 know you need to be angry at times for some very 00:00:23.649 --> 00:00:26.269 specific reasons. Today, we'll talk about what 00:00:26.269 --> 00:00:31.980 those are. Stay with me. Welcome to this edition 00:00:31.980 --> 00:00:35.679 of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Our mission 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:38.439 is to inspire Christians to be genuine followers 00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:41.520 of Jesus and to empower them to be active disciple 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:44.219 makers in our world. Well, today we'll begin 00:00:44.219 --> 00:00:46.960 winding down our series, Overcoming Emotions 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:49.740 That Destroy, as Chip explores what it looks 00:00:49.740 --> 00:00:52.659 like to successfully live out the verse, be angry, 00:00:52.780 --> 00:00:56.219 but do not sin. But quickly, if Chip's teaching 00:00:56.219 --> 00:00:58.460 has helped you understand this powerful emotion 00:00:58.460 --> 00:01:01.200 and how to control it, take a minute after this 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:03.520 program and share this series with someone in 00:01:03.520 --> 00:01:05.939 your life who may need to hear it. Now, you can 00:01:05.939 --> 00:01:09.879 do that from livingontheedge .org or wherever 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:12.900 you listen to podcasts. Well, if you have a Bible, 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:16.180 go now to Ephesians chapter 4 as we settle in 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:20.579 for Chip's message, How to Be Good and Mad. There 00:01:20.579 --> 00:01:24.980 are two words that rarely go together. In the 00:01:24.980 --> 00:01:27.920 same sentence or in your experience, the two 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:32.680 words are good and mad. There's times where you're 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:36.400 good and there's times where you're mad, but 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:39.379 there's very few times where you're both good 00:01:39.379 --> 00:01:43.340 and mad. And we're going to talk today about 00:01:43.340 --> 00:01:48.780 how to be good and mad. As we bring this whole 00:01:48.780 --> 00:01:52.290 series, you know, to a conclusion. I want to 00:01:52.290 --> 00:01:55.010 move beyond just understanding anger, that it's 00:01:55.010 --> 00:01:57.370 a red light on the dashboard. I want to move 00:01:57.370 --> 00:02:00.349 beyond you recognizing, oh, anger wears many 00:02:00.349 --> 00:02:04.209 masks. I'm a spewer, right? I'm a stuffer or 00:02:04.209 --> 00:02:07.209 I'm a leaker. And you now know that. I want to 00:02:07.209 --> 00:02:11.210 move beyond that. And I want to say that anger 00:02:11.210 --> 00:02:14.789 is a channel that's a God -given emotion that 00:02:14.789 --> 00:02:18.210 actually is to maximize your potential in Christ. 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:22.580 And so the goal of this series isn't simply to 00:02:22.580 --> 00:02:26.080 help you quit blowing up. It's not simply to 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:28.159 help you psychologically get more healthy, although 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:31.199 that will happen. Get you to stop stuffing and 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:35.379 stop leaking. Our desire is that you would get 00:02:35.379 --> 00:02:39.719 such a grasp on this gift of anger. It's an emotion 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:43.810 from God. that it would be a tool, a weapon, 00:02:43.909 --> 00:02:46.789 and a resource designed to enable you to respond 00:02:46.789 --> 00:02:51.669 in a very, very powerful way to evil in a fallen 00:02:51.669 --> 00:02:56.430 world. And God wants you to be, I'm going to 00:02:56.430 --> 00:02:59.669 go out on the limb, good, and he wants you to 00:02:59.669 --> 00:03:03.150 be mad. And if you want to know how, turn in 00:03:03.150 --> 00:03:06.129 your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4, and you can 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:09.430 open your notes, same spot. But if you have your 00:03:09.430 --> 00:03:11.069 Bibles, I'd like you to open that as well, because 00:03:11.069 --> 00:03:12.509 I'm going to do a little bit more than just as 00:03:12.509 --> 00:03:16.189 in your notes. As you read this classic passage, 00:03:16.569 --> 00:03:18.810 we've said it, we've referred to it, but I want 00:03:18.810 --> 00:03:21.669 to open it up, dig in, explain it, and apply 00:03:21.669 --> 00:03:25.650 it. It says, be angry, command, and yet do not 00:03:25.650 --> 00:03:29.150 sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, 00:03:29.250 --> 00:03:32.810 and do not give the devil an opportunity. And 00:03:32.810 --> 00:03:35.650 with your Bible open and the notes here, I want 00:03:35.650 --> 00:03:38.430 to give you a little context here. You know, 00:03:38.430 --> 00:03:41.770 Ephesians 4 opens up and you have one, two, three 00:03:41.770 --> 00:03:44.710 chapters of this is who you are in Christ. This 00:03:44.710 --> 00:03:47.169 is what God has done. You have been forgiven. 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:50.169 You're his child. You have an inheritance. You've 00:03:50.169 --> 00:03:53.069 been adopted. His spirit has sealed you. You've 00:03:53.069 --> 00:03:55.490 been placed in the supernatural community called 00:03:55.490 --> 00:03:58.289 the church. You have power. There is a plan. 00:03:58.590 --> 00:04:01.629 What you are experiencing now is a mystery that 00:04:01.629 --> 00:04:04.830 angels and prophets long to look into. And chapters 00:04:04.830 --> 00:04:08.009 one, two, and three say, this is your a new position 00:04:08.009 --> 00:04:11.270 in Christ. You're precious. You're loved. You're 00:04:11.270 --> 00:04:13.949 adopted. The same spirit that raised Jesus from 00:04:13.949 --> 00:04:16.589 the dead actually dwells in your physical body 00:04:16.589 --> 00:04:19.629 if you've trusted Christ. And after telling you 00:04:19.629 --> 00:04:21.910 who you already are, look at your Bibles. Look 00:04:21.910 --> 00:04:24.769 at verse 1 of chapter 4. Therefore, I urge you 00:04:24.769 --> 00:04:27.689 as a prisoner of the Lord to walk in a manner 00:04:27.689 --> 00:04:31.009 worthy of his calling. The first three chapters 00:04:31.009 --> 00:04:33.050 are what we believe and what we know is true. 00:04:33.209 --> 00:04:35.490 The last three chapters are how we're to behave. 00:04:36.269 --> 00:04:39.209 how we're to actually live. This is your worth 00:04:39.209 --> 00:04:41.670 in God's sight. Chapters four, five, and six, 00:04:41.810 --> 00:04:45.670 this is your walk in God's sight. And an interesting 00:04:45.670 --> 00:04:47.709 word where it says walk in a manner, the word 00:04:47.709 --> 00:04:52.490 worthy, we get our English word axis. It's the 00:04:52.490 --> 00:04:55.509 picture of scales. And it's like, here's three 00:04:55.509 --> 00:04:58.069 chapters of truth, truth, truth, truth, truth. 00:04:58.350 --> 00:05:00.449 It's not trying hard. It's not being religious. 00:05:00.529 --> 00:05:02.449 It's not keeping rules. It's not keeping your 00:05:02.449 --> 00:05:04.490 nose clean. It's not giving a little money. It's 00:05:04.490 --> 00:05:07.290 not giving the United Way. It's a personal relationship 00:05:07.290 --> 00:05:09.589 with the living God based on the work of Christ 00:05:09.589 --> 00:05:11.850 and his resurrection. You're a whole new person. 00:05:12.069 --> 00:05:15.050 And this is what's true of you now. In view of 00:05:15.050 --> 00:05:17.389 that truth, I want you by faith to appropriate 00:05:17.389 --> 00:05:21.089 what you already possess so that your walk and 00:05:21.089 --> 00:05:24.879 your truth progressively Tell the same story. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:29.220 God's agenda for your life is for you to trust 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:32.959 him. That's the number one agenda. His goal in 00:05:32.959 --> 00:05:36.480 every circumstance, in every pain. in every up, 00:05:36.500 --> 00:05:39.160 in every down, in every anger issue, in every 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.819 job change, in every economic downturn, in every 00:05:42.819 --> 00:05:45.860 blessing, is to help you to learn to believe 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:49.220 that he is actually God, that he actually loves 00:05:49.220 --> 00:05:52.079 you, that his word is true, and that he in his 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:54.519 wisdom and love is orchestrating these events 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:58.420 so that you will trust him. And as you trust 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:01.120 him, he promises to give you everything you need, 00:06:01.259 --> 00:06:05.399 not to get proud when the blessing comes, not 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:08.680 to give in when the adversity comes, but as you 00:06:08.680 --> 00:06:11.680 trust him, he will form the very character of 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:15.000 the living Christ in you so that the Jesus who 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.540 lives in you in the power of the Holy Spirit 00:06:17.540 --> 00:06:20.939 would manifest the very life of Christ to other 00:06:20.939 --> 00:06:23.220 people. That's what Jesus meant when he said, 00:06:23.259 --> 00:06:25.779 you are the light of the world. He didn't say, 00:06:25.800 --> 00:06:28.160 try to be the light of the world. You are the 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:32.269 light of the world. You are the salt. Jesus didn't 00:06:32.269 --> 00:06:35.050 say, go try and be my witnesses. He said, you 00:06:35.050 --> 00:06:39.350 are my witnesses. And so in chapter 4, verse 00:06:39.350 --> 00:06:42.610 1, it opens up and it tells you that. As you 00:06:42.610 --> 00:06:44.410 would go through and just scan in your Bible, 00:06:44.430 --> 00:06:46.189 what you see, it begins relationally in verses 00:06:46.189 --> 00:06:48.829 2 and 3. And so it's not so much about activity. 00:06:48.850 --> 00:06:50.689 It's about a relationship that you have with 00:06:50.689 --> 00:06:52.790 God and with other people where it talks about 00:06:52.790 --> 00:06:55.829 those key attitudes. And then in verses 7 to 00:06:55.829 --> 00:06:57.810 10, he reminds you that this was accomplished 00:06:57.810 --> 00:07:00.350 not by your effort, but what Christ did on the 00:07:00.350 --> 00:07:02.930 cross. And he talks about his resurrection and 00:07:02.930 --> 00:07:05.410 what he did declaring victory over demonic forces. 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:08.019 And then in verses 11 through 16, he says, you 00:07:08.019 --> 00:07:10.139 can never do this on your own. It's impossible. 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:13.160 And so he gave apostles and prophets and evangelists 00:07:13.160 --> 00:07:15.600 and pastors and teachers. They equip us regular, 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:18.459 ordinary saints, members, new Christians, old 00:07:18.459 --> 00:07:21.319 Christians to do what? The work of the ministry 00:07:21.319 --> 00:07:23.879 so that all of us one day will grow up. Look 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:27.420 at verse 13 in your Bible. To the measure of 00:07:27.420 --> 00:07:30.920 the fullness of the stature of Christ, that you 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:33.860 would actually become progressively like Jesus. 00:07:34.670 --> 00:07:36.689 And then he says, some of the evidences of being 00:07:36.689 --> 00:07:39.670 like Jesus is part is relational and part is 00:07:39.670 --> 00:07:42.209 doctrinal. No longer tossed here and there by 00:07:42.209 --> 00:07:44.189 every wind of doctrine and the craftiness of 00:07:44.189 --> 00:07:46.709 deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in 00:07:46.709 --> 00:07:50.269 love, you'll grow up in all aspects into him 00:07:50.269 --> 00:07:53.189 who is the head, even Christ, by that which every 00:07:53.189 --> 00:07:55.389 joint supplies according to the proper working 00:07:55.389 --> 00:07:58.610 of each individual part that causes the growth 00:07:58.610 --> 00:08:00.829 of the body of Christ. And it looks like love. 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:04.540 And then in verses 17 to 24, he'll say, there's 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:06.180 a process individually you have to go through 00:08:06.180 --> 00:08:09.060 and it's hard. You're gonna have to put off the 00:08:09.060 --> 00:08:11.300 old. You put off the old anger. You put off the 00:08:11.300 --> 00:08:13.220 old bitterness. You put off some old habits. 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:15.220 You put off the old pornography. You put off 00:08:15.220 --> 00:08:17.279 the old workaholism. You put off the old pleasing 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.980 people. You put it off, have your mind renewed. 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:22.519 That's what we've done in these sessions. And 00:08:22.519 --> 00:08:25.860 then you put on. And by faith, you take some 00:08:25.860 --> 00:08:29.060 very specific steps. And then in verses 25 to 00:08:29.060 --> 00:08:31.839 32 of chapter four, He doesn't leave you thinking, 00:08:31.920 --> 00:08:34.779 well, what should I put on? He says there's five 00:08:34.779 --> 00:08:38.820 key areas that will develop who you are. And 00:08:38.820 --> 00:08:40.519 if you look at the structure very carefully, 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:43.279 beginning in verse 25 through the end of this 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.779 chapter, he phrases it, put off, mind renewed, 00:08:46.980 --> 00:08:49.980 put on. And what he'll do is he'll walk you through 00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:54.039 a process of honesty. He'll say, don't lie to 00:08:54.039 --> 00:08:57.019 one another anymore. Put on truth. He'll talk 00:08:57.019 --> 00:09:00.830 here about anger. Be angry, but don't sin. He'll 00:09:00.830 --> 00:09:04.090 talk about behaviors. He'll talk about attitudes. 00:09:04.309 --> 00:09:08.269 And he'll even talk about speech. And so he literally 00:09:08.269 --> 00:09:13.450 develops a going into training to see lived in 00:09:13.450 --> 00:09:16.169 and out of you. And he starts talking about you 00:09:16.169 --> 00:09:18.389 got to be honest. You got to deal with these 00:09:18.389 --> 00:09:21.490 emotions that sabotage things. No unwholesome 00:09:21.490 --> 00:09:24.149 word proceeding out of your mouth. Let all bitterness 00:09:24.149 --> 00:09:27.250 and wrath. Get away. He who steals, don't steal 00:09:27.250 --> 00:09:29.389 anymore until you start to work. And he gives 00:09:29.389 --> 00:09:33.610 us five very specific areas that as you put them 00:09:33.610 --> 00:09:36.450 on, you begin to grow and become more and more 00:09:36.450 --> 00:09:39.009 like Christ. And then chapter five begins to 00:09:39.009 --> 00:09:41.149 open up and talks about the tension there is 00:09:41.149 --> 00:09:43.690 and the need for love and how we're tempted to 00:09:43.690 --> 00:09:45.809 try and fulfill it with sex because it's pseudo 00:09:45.809 --> 00:09:48.350 intimacy. And then he'll tell us that, no, really 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:50.190 you need to be filled with the spirit. And in 00:09:50.190 --> 00:09:51.950 this new walk by being filled with the spirit, 00:09:52.029 --> 00:09:54.350 the way it works out is first in those most intimate 00:09:54.350 --> 00:09:56.940 relationships with him. and then your marriage, 00:09:57.059 --> 00:10:00.320 and then with children, and then your work, and 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:02.840 then chapter six will end and say, and all this 00:10:02.840 --> 00:10:05.559 happens in a hostile environment that's filled 00:10:05.559 --> 00:10:07.919 with spiritual warfare and demonic forces trying 00:10:07.919 --> 00:10:10.480 to take you out. I went through that for one 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:13.279 reason. I do not want you to leave this series 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:16.169 going. Okay, overcoming emotions to destroy. 00:10:16.269 --> 00:10:18.330 I have some anger issues. I think I wear the 00:10:18.330 --> 00:10:20.649 stuffer mask. No, I wear the leaker mask. I'm 00:10:20.649 --> 00:10:22.710 a spewer. I know I need to change. This will 00:10:22.710 --> 00:10:24.850 really help me become more psychologically healthy. 00:10:24.990 --> 00:10:26.809 I think this will improve all my relationships. 00:10:27.029 --> 00:10:29.690 I'm going to be a much nicer person. I'm so glad 00:10:29.690 --> 00:10:34.330 I went. That's not the purpose. Those are all 00:10:34.330 --> 00:10:38.169 the side benefits. You're listening to Living 00:10:38.169 --> 00:10:40.980 on the Edge. Before we continue today's program, 00:10:41.279 --> 00:10:44.639 let me ask you, is anger devastating your relationships 00:10:44.639 --> 00:10:48.080 with your family, spouse, or co -workers? Join 00:10:48.080 --> 00:10:50.399 us after Chip's message to learn more about our 00:10:50.399 --> 00:10:52.940 valuable small group resource for this series. 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:55.860 Stick around to discover how to confront this 00:10:55.860 --> 00:10:59.100 powerful emotion and harness it for good. But 00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:01.679 for now, here again is Chip to continue today's 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:08.860 message. This gift, this tool, this weapon of 00:11:08.860 --> 00:11:12.460 anger that can be used for evil or for good to 00:11:12.460 --> 00:11:15.980 transform your life to make you like Christ. 00:11:16.460 --> 00:11:20.120 That's what's at stake. That's what's at stake. 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:23.179 It's not about getting along with your mate. 00:11:23.340 --> 00:11:26.779 It's not about stopping offending people. That 00:11:26.779 --> 00:11:30.899 is what the context of this passage is. And let 00:11:30.899 --> 00:11:32.960 me give you just a quick little overview, and 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:35.559 I need to... Probably stay at least close to 00:11:35.559 --> 00:11:39.379 the notes. The command is God commands us to 00:11:39.379 --> 00:11:42.740 express our anger, right? Be angry. Notice second, 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:45.919 God commands us to express our anger appropriately. 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:52.100 So be angry, but don't sin. So don't, it's a 00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:55.480 sin to stuff it and not deal with issues. It's 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:59.720 a sin to leak it. It's a sin to put on a mask 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:03.360 and blow up on people. So he says, you're to 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:06.759 be angry. It's a powerful weapon and tool, but 00:12:06.759 --> 00:12:08.720 it's like a shovel. You can use it to dig and 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.159 make progress or bang people over the head. He 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:14.000 says, don't bang people over the head. Use it 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:17.000 as a tool to dig and see what God's doing and 00:12:17.000 --> 00:12:20.620 even be a resource of motivation. So we've looked 00:12:20.620 --> 00:12:23.659 at three ways that we express anger. I wanna 00:12:23.659 --> 00:12:26.360 give you a fourth one. And then I wanna talk 00:12:26.360 --> 00:12:30.899 about how to do some very deep repair. We said 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:34.460 we express our anger by spewing, one. We said 00:12:34.460 --> 00:12:37.879 we express it by stuffing, two. We said we express 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:40.679 it by leaking, three, passive aggressiveness. 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.500 I'd like to suggest that the Bible gives us a 00:12:43.500 --> 00:12:47.480 fourth, indignation. It's not in this text, but 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:50.679 it's just a little one on indignation. Write 00:12:50.679 --> 00:12:53.500 down, if you would, three passages. You can check 00:12:53.500 --> 00:12:57.759 them out later. Mark chapter three, Matthew chapter 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:03.639 23. and Mark chapter 11. Each one of these is 00:13:03.639 --> 00:13:09.220 the life of Christ, and it is a powerful, powerful 00:13:09.220 --> 00:13:13.940 picture of how God wants to use anger. In Mark 00:13:13.940 --> 00:13:16.860 chapter 3, he's in a synagogue. And he's being 00:13:16.860 --> 00:13:19.240 attacked, and he's done some healing on the Sabbath. 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:21.799 He's done some things on the Sabbath. And people 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:24.139 are so narrow. This is what religion does. We 00:13:24.139 --> 00:13:26.539 get so narrow, all we can see is the means, and 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:28.779 we forget the end. And so there's a fellow there 00:13:28.779 --> 00:13:31.279 that needs to be healed. And they're waiting. 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:33.460 Is he going to heal him today so we can catch 00:13:33.460 --> 00:13:37.320 him? Like, can you imagine thinking, wow, this 00:13:37.320 --> 00:13:40.279 guy is going to miraculously heal and restore 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:42.779 someone's life, and all they can focus on is 00:13:42.779 --> 00:13:45.139 what day he's going to do it so they can whack 00:13:45.139 --> 00:13:48.559 him? I mean, that sounds really crazy until we 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.679 look at some of the stuff we do. But I want you 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:55.559 to notice a word there. As they were preparing 00:13:55.559 --> 00:13:59.980 to catch him, and Jesus says, knowing their hearts, 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:05.870 he was angry. Jesus was angry with the hardness 00:14:05.870 --> 00:14:08.809 of their heart. He was angry that their religion 00:14:08.809 --> 00:14:12.289 and their control and their traditions had nullified 00:14:12.289 --> 00:14:15.210 the truth of God. And after it says he is angry, 00:14:15.309 --> 00:14:17.129 he says to the man, come on up here, we're gonna 00:14:17.129 --> 00:14:20.809 get this done today. In Matthew 23, so we have, 00:14:20.870 --> 00:14:25.049 he's visibly angry. In Matthew 23, we have a 00:14:25.049 --> 00:14:29.340 picture of him being extremely frustrated. And 00:14:29.340 --> 00:14:31.700 he talks to the religious leaders. And he's built 00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:33.840 his case, and he's lived the life, and he's done 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:35.500 the miracles, and he's given the Sermon on the 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:38.100 Mount. And finally, these blind guides that are 00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:40.799 leading all these people astray, he just rips 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:44.620 it out. You brood of vipers, you blind guides, 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:47.440 you whitewashed tombs. By the way, that's how 00:14:47.440 --> 00:14:50.419 he preached it. Sometimes we read the Bible like, 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:53.460 you know, Jesus meek and mild, picture in the 00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:56.740 Sunday school. Jesus, here he is against these... 00:14:57.149 --> 00:15:03.730 You blind guides, you vipers. You terrible, terrible 00:15:03.730 --> 00:15:11.750 people. He was mad. He had people telling people 00:15:11.750 --> 00:15:14.629 this is the way of life and leading them to the 00:15:14.629 --> 00:15:18.309 way of death. And I want you to know, yeah, you 00:15:18.309 --> 00:15:21.389 can spew, you can stuff, you can leak. God wants 00:15:21.389 --> 00:15:24.940 you to get indignation. about injustice and about 00:15:24.940 --> 00:15:27.120 people that are hurting and things that are wrong 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:29.320 and be willing to stand up and take the flag. 00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:32.960 There's a reason they crucified him. It was for 00:15:32.960 --> 00:15:36.559 speeches like this. And then finally, he didn't 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:38.679 just have visible anger. He just didn't have 00:15:38.679 --> 00:15:41.399 frustration and verbal anger. If you go to Mark 00:15:41.399 --> 00:15:45.340 11, he has physical anger. And he walks into 00:15:45.340 --> 00:15:47.820 his father's house and I think he just, I've 00:15:47.820 --> 00:15:51.179 just had it. It was righteous. I've had it. I 00:15:51.179 --> 00:15:54.820 can't take it anymore. Get out of here. And I 00:15:54.820 --> 00:15:56.919 mean, he began to turn over the tables and kick 00:15:56.919 --> 00:15:59.899 people out. And that's a Jesus that we're not 00:15:59.899 --> 00:16:04.679 real comfortable with. But that's the Jesus that 00:16:04.679 --> 00:16:09.340 lives in you. But if you believe that anger is 00:16:09.340 --> 00:16:11.620 wrong, you'll never get indignation. That's why 00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:14.559 we looked at the passage. What's Ephesians 4 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:18.440 .26 say? It's a command. Command, be angry. Question, 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:21.340 are you angry? And are you angry with the right 00:16:21.340 --> 00:16:24.500 stuff? Okay, in your anger, it's powerful. You 00:16:24.500 --> 00:16:27.899 gotta be careful. Don't sin. And we'll talk about 00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:32.720 that. I wanna show you the power of this little 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:36.059 excerpt as we were thinking about how to help 00:16:36.059 --> 00:16:38.480 people grab this. In 1980, a loving mother got 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:42.120 angry. Someone had too much to drink. He'd been 00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.759 on a three -day binge, veered off a neighborhood 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:48.340 road and struck a 13 -year -old girl. The life 00:16:48.340 --> 00:16:50.059 of this mother's young teenager was instantly 00:16:50.059 --> 00:16:53.179 snuffed out. The mother, Candice Leitner, was 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:57.679 devastated, ripped open by grief. But after her 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:04.680 grief, she got mad. She got really mad. She did 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:06.480 research and found out that there were more deaths 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:08.980 every single year in alcohol -related accidents 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:12.500 in America than all the young men that were ever 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:17.400 killed in Vietnam. She was enraged. She decided 00:17:17.400 --> 00:17:20.640 immediately to start mad. Capital M, capital 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:24.579 A, capital D, capital D. Mothers Against Drunk 00:17:24.579 --> 00:17:29.200 Drivers. It may have started small, but now there's 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:32.319 chapters all over the United States. The organization 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:34.740 is lobbied hard and laws have been changed, largely 00:17:34.740 --> 00:17:37.779 due to the efforts of MAD. Thousands of lives 00:17:37.779 --> 00:17:41.799 have been saved, all because a heartbroken, angry 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:46.940 woman let her anger be known. Candice Lightner 00:17:46.940 --> 00:17:48.880 didn't seek revenge against the drunk driver 00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:51.619 who killed her daughter. She didn't lash out, 00:17:51.660 --> 00:17:55.359 destroy property or people. Nor did she remain 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:58.740 in her grief, stuffing the anger down deep inside. 00:17:59.099 --> 00:18:02.599 She didn't self -destruct. Instead, she expressed 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:05.559 her anger. She got it out appropriately in ways 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:07.700 that were constructive rather than destructive. 00:18:08.460 --> 00:18:12.680 And that's what we're commanded to do. Can I 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:15.730 just ask you, just... I'm not going to ask you 00:18:15.730 --> 00:18:18.869 to go, you know, start an organization, but can 00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:22.130 I just ask you to think about what is it that's 00:18:22.130 --> 00:18:26.170 kind of going on in the world, but more in your 00:18:26.170 --> 00:18:31.450 world, that it's just wrong. You know what I 00:18:31.450 --> 00:18:35.450 mean? It's just wrong. I mean, it's just, and 00:18:35.450 --> 00:18:37.710 you know what? Sometimes we think, well, I can't 00:18:37.710 --> 00:18:39.170 do everything. Of course you can't do everything. 00:18:40.250 --> 00:18:41.650 I don't think God wants you to do everything. 00:18:42.230 --> 00:18:44.390 And if I watched the news and saw everything 00:18:44.390 --> 00:18:47.029 was wrong, I get depressed. I really limit how 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:48.809 much time I can watch the news. The names change. 00:18:48.869 --> 00:18:51.369 It's all the same junk. And now with all the 00:18:51.369 --> 00:18:53.609 cable stations, they tell me way more information 00:18:53.609 --> 00:18:55.690 than I need to know to put in my head because 00:18:55.690 --> 00:18:57.230 they're all competing for sensational stuff. 00:18:58.930 --> 00:19:00.809 But there's certain things that really bug me. 00:19:01.890 --> 00:19:05.970 They make me angry. And for some, it's the plight 00:19:05.970 --> 00:19:08.450 of... Unwed moms, and for others, it's alcoholics. 00:19:08.450 --> 00:19:09.930 For others, it's people. We got a brother here 00:19:09.930 --> 00:19:11.710 that I'll tell you, I tell you, he's passionate. 00:19:11.769 --> 00:19:13.289 He's passionate about people getting off of heroin. 00:19:15.289 --> 00:19:20.829 What bugs you? What makes you mad? And praise 00:19:20.829 --> 00:19:23.349 God, I suppose, I'm not sure, for talk radio, 00:19:23.450 --> 00:19:27.690 but I think we've substituted talking about what 00:19:27.690 --> 00:19:30.609 ought to happen and expressing our anger for 00:19:30.609 --> 00:19:33.359 doing something. This is terrible. Could you 00:19:33.359 --> 00:19:35.200 hear this? Now here's this. Now it's this. This 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:36.900 is a terrible thing. This happened. Are you aware 00:19:36.900 --> 00:19:40.460 of it? Well, do something. Just shut up and do 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:45.599 something in your area. And so I would just encourage 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:50.460 you to say, God, what is it that I can't let 00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:53.319 go? Don't manufacture something. But get your 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:55.640 heart open. Part of this, too, is we've been 00:19:55.640 --> 00:19:57.839 brainwashed for about 30 or 40 years. It's very 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:00.200 subtle that basically the whole Christian life 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:02.559 is about you being happy and you being well -adjusted 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:04.660 and Jesus is going to take care of you. And if 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:06.480 you really do things God's way, your marriages 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:07.859 are going to be great and your kids turn out 00:20:07.859 --> 00:20:10.799 right and you'll be financially mobile and they'll 00:20:10.799 --> 00:20:13.160 get better education than you. And, you know, 00:20:13.259 --> 00:20:14.759 the whole world's going to get better someday, 00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:18.230 someway. And that's a bunch of garbage. To every 00:20:18.230 --> 00:20:20.750 person who longs to live for Jesus Christ, you 00:20:20.750 --> 00:20:23.349 will be persecuted. Consider it all joy when 00:20:23.349 --> 00:20:24.950 you counter various trials. Now, you know what? 00:20:25.049 --> 00:20:27.190 The fact is God in his great grace, when you 00:20:27.190 --> 00:20:29.569 walk with him, it really does give you a lot 00:20:29.569 --> 00:20:31.789 better marriage. And when you create an environment, 00:20:31.910 --> 00:20:33.849 a lot of your kids will walk with God. That's 00:20:33.849 --> 00:20:37.130 not the goal. We've made all the benefits the 00:20:37.130 --> 00:20:40.049 goal. The goal is you're on this little planet 00:20:40.049 --> 00:20:43.009 for a small amount of time. To what? Reflect 00:20:43.009 --> 00:20:46.069 Christ, make him known, see people come to know 00:20:46.069 --> 00:20:49.970 him, see them mature, and model this. And what 00:20:49.970 --> 00:20:51.890 happens is now we take all these verses and we 00:20:51.890 --> 00:20:54.109 rearrange them, and then we get really mad at 00:20:54.109 --> 00:20:56.750 God when pain comes into our life and cancer 00:20:56.750 --> 00:20:58.710 comes into our life and difficulty comes into 00:20:58.710 --> 00:21:01.329 our life. And, you know, it rains on the just 00:21:01.329 --> 00:21:03.410 and the unjust. I don't know about you, but I 00:21:03.410 --> 00:21:04.769 have a lot of friends that have lost 30 % or 00:21:04.769 --> 00:21:07.230 40 % of their net income, just like all the unbelievers. 00:21:08.009 --> 00:21:09.789 Now it's an opportunity to show them, so how 00:21:09.789 --> 00:21:12.480 do Christians respond to that? So I'm not against, 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:14.640 I mean, I'm all for all the great benefits of 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:18.960 God, but I think we've so subtly, so subtly, 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:21.960 we don't get mad because the real issue that 00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:24.160 we're concerned about is how does our life work 00:21:24.160 --> 00:21:28.680 out? You know, I hear people say, it's not about 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:30.339 me, it's not about me, it's about God. Okay, 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:33.079 well, let's start living that one. Let's start 00:21:33.079 --> 00:21:34.839 acting like, oh, with my money, it's not about 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.339 me. With my time, it's not about me. Ooh. With 00:21:38.339 --> 00:21:41.849 my energy, it's not about me. And the thing is, 00:21:41.869 --> 00:21:44.970 when that's your focus and you give, then you 00:21:44.970 --> 00:21:47.589 have this counterintuitive thing where God does 00:21:47.589 --> 00:21:50.210 give. And that's not just money. The passage, 00:21:50.269 --> 00:21:52.430 by the way, Luke 6, 38 is not a financial passage. 00:21:52.609 --> 00:21:54.690 He says, give and it'll be given unto you. Good 00:21:54.690 --> 00:21:56.250 measure, pressed down, shaken together, running 00:21:56.250 --> 00:21:59.190 over, back into your lap. But it's about giving 00:21:59.190 --> 00:22:02.609 your life away, your time away, your energy your 00:22:02.609 --> 00:22:04.910 way, your gifts away to do it, to do the will 00:22:04.910 --> 00:22:07.990 of God, not to get God to do the will of you. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:10.599 And see, that's the subtle thing that's happened. 00:22:10.940 --> 00:22:14.559 And so part of being angry is, the temptation 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:16.839 is to go all the way through this and it become 00:22:16.839 --> 00:22:18.940 one more little self -help thing. I'm really 00:22:18.940 --> 00:22:22.220 glad I'm doing better on my anger. And I just 00:22:22.220 --> 00:22:26.680 wanna say, I think God wants to use your anger 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:30.059 to get some really great stuff done. And you 00:22:30.059 --> 00:22:31.539 know what? You don't have to start an organization 00:22:31.539 --> 00:22:34.099 that's nationwide. What would happen if you got 00:22:34.099 --> 00:22:37.359 angry about some junk in your church, in your 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:41.009 community? at your work. And you know, it doesn't 00:22:41.009 --> 00:22:42.990 mean you get on a soapbox and act like an idiot 00:22:42.990 --> 00:22:46.990 and say things. You're winsome, loving, pure, 00:22:47.210 --> 00:22:51.950 kind, and tenacious. And you do the right thing. 00:22:52.309 --> 00:22:54.490 And by the way, there's consequences. I mean, 00:22:54.509 --> 00:22:56.109 that's the other thing. We somehow get this idea 00:22:56.109 --> 00:22:58.430 that we're going to do life God's way and sort 00:22:58.430 --> 00:23:02.269 of skip through it. There'll be pain. But what 00:23:02.269 --> 00:23:04.950 do we do with all those verses like this present 00:23:04.950 --> 00:23:07.430 suffering is not to be compared with the glorious 00:23:08.580 --> 00:23:12.480 Right? So where did we start learning that the 00:23:12.480 --> 00:23:14.960 goal of life is to be comfortable and never experience 00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:17.299 pain? Now, by the way, I don't like pain any 00:23:17.299 --> 00:23:19.339 more than you do, and I'm not going to jump into 00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:21.599 it willfully. There's enough real good pain when 00:23:21.599 --> 00:23:23.859 you do the will of God. But the apostle Paul 00:23:23.859 --> 00:23:25.940 in his life, he had this weird view like, I want 00:23:25.940 --> 00:23:29.619 to know the fellowship of his suffering. It's 00:23:29.619 --> 00:23:32.720 in the pain and in the need that actually a lot 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:36.049 of the becoming like Christ occurs. So all I 00:23:36.049 --> 00:23:38.710 wanted to do is give you a picture of maybe anger 00:23:38.710 --> 00:23:44.470 as more than just helping you in your life, in 00:23:44.470 --> 00:23:50.849 your personal world. This is Living on the Edge 00:23:50.849 --> 00:23:53.250 with Chip Ingram. And you've been listening to 00:23:53.250 --> 00:23:55.549 part one of Chip's message, How to Be Good and 00:23:55.549 --> 00:23:58.470 Mad, from our series, Overcoming Emotions That 00:23:58.470 --> 00:24:01.269 Destroy. Chip will be back shortly to share some 00:24:01.269 --> 00:24:04.410 helpful application for us to think about. Have 00:24:04.410 --> 00:24:06.369 you ever been told you have an anger problem? 00:24:06.589 --> 00:24:09.450 Has your temper damaged or ruined a meaningful 00:24:09.450 --> 00:24:12.630 relationship? Are the frustrations of daily life 00:24:12.630 --> 00:24:16.000 weighing you down? Well let's be honest. Everyone 00:24:16.000 --> 00:24:18.480 struggles to control this powerful emotion at 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:21.339 times. In this series, Chip reveals the common 00:24:21.339 --> 00:24:24.759 ways anger manifests and shares practical biblical 00:24:24.759 --> 00:24:27.799 solutions to rein it in before it destroys you 00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:30.880 and your most treasured relationships. Don't 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:33.779 miss How to Be, as Jesus said, angry without 00:24:33.779 --> 00:24:36.680 sinning. Well, Chip's back in studio with me 00:24:36.680 --> 00:24:38.759 now. And Chip, you know, this series really speaks 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:41.359 to all of us. Because, you know, no one's exempt 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:44.220 from losing their temper or becoming angry. But 00:24:44.220 --> 00:24:46.980 some of us handle it better than others. So what 00:24:46.980 --> 00:24:48.660 would you say to that person who's concerned 00:24:48.660 --> 00:24:51.039 about their anger but hasn't had the courage 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:54.660 to call it what it really is? Well, Dave, the 00:24:54.660 --> 00:24:58.089 problem with anger... is that most of us try 00:24:58.089 --> 00:25:01.109 and hide it. I mean, we have been brainwashed 00:25:01.109 --> 00:25:04.710 into thinking that anger is bad, anger is a sin, 00:25:04.910 --> 00:25:08.250 and we've experienced unrighteous anger toward 00:25:08.250 --> 00:25:10.509 us that has caused us to say, I don't want to 00:25:10.509 --> 00:25:12.950 go there, and I feel bad when I do go there. 00:25:13.049 --> 00:25:15.650 So we mask it with things like, well, I'm just 00:25:15.650 --> 00:25:18.029 really frustrated right now, or we have some 00:25:18.029 --> 00:25:20.349 spiritual language, or we blame other people. 00:25:21.049 --> 00:25:23.069 There's very few people that you'll hear say, 00:25:23.170 --> 00:25:26.859 you know what, I'm really angry right now. And 00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:29.400 I wonder what that means and what is God saying 00:25:29.400 --> 00:25:33.019 to me and how do I deal with it? The power is 00:25:33.019 --> 00:25:35.799 in getting these things on the table in a safe 00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:38.460 environment. Anger destroys your relationship 00:25:38.460 --> 00:25:42.339 with God. Anger cuts you off from people. Anger 00:25:42.339 --> 00:25:45.279 causes you to stuff stuff. And the high percentage 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:48.180 of people that are depressed are around unresolved 00:25:48.180 --> 00:25:50.880 anger issues. And so we've put this in the format 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:53.460 of a book. But the format that has been most 00:25:53.460 --> 00:25:56.319 powerful is in a small group, Dave. I actually 00:25:56.319 --> 00:25:58.779 lead this small group. We have a study guide 00:25:58.779 --> 00:26:01.140 where people can follow along and then process 00:26:01.140 --> 00:26:03.720 some issues. And then in a safe environment, 00:26:03.960 --> 00:26:07.220 we have just heard amazing feedback of people 00:26:07.220 --> 00:26:10.880 actually seeing that anger is something God uses 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:13.579 to change them instead of something that cuts 00:26:13.579 --> 00:26:15.819 them off from God and others. So I really encourage 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:18.299 people to get on the journey with us and let 00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:21.589 us help you overcome emotions that destroy. Thanks, 00:26:21.630 --> 00:26:23.750 Chip. Well, to get your hands on this valuable 00:26:23.750 --> 00:26:27.589 resource, visit livingontheedge .org. Dig into 00:26:27.589 --> 00:26:29.869 this study with a group of friends and uncover 00:26:29.869 --> 00:26:32.630 how anger may be impacting you and what you can 00:26:32.630 --> 00:26:35.150 do to harness it to grow spiritually, emotionally, 00:26:35.450 --> 00:26:38.579 and relationally. Get your hands on the overcoming 00:26:38.579 --> 00:26:41.960 emotions that destroy small group today by going 00:26:41.960 --> 00:26:46.599 to livingontheedge .org or by calling 888 -333 00:26:46.599 --> 00:26:51.640 -6003. App listeners tap special offers. Well, 00:26:51.660 --> 00:26:54.900 here again is Chip to share a final word. As 00:26:54.900 --> 00:26:57.259 we close today's program, I want to speak to 00:26:57.259 --> 00:27:00.039 two audiences. Audience number one is a group 00:27:00.039 --> 00:27:03.039 of people that have felt guilty your whole life 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:05.650 every time you get mad. And so you stuff it and 00:27:05.650 --> 00:27:07.950 you've got real issues because of that. I want 00:27:07.950 --> 00:27:10.289 you to know, I want you to hear from God. There 00:27:10.289 --> 00:27:14.230 are times to get angry, injustice, indignation, 00:27:14.309 --> 00:27:18.549 children abused, people doing wrong things, people 00:27:18.549 --> 00:27:21.250 who attack other people. And when they do it 00:27:21.250 --> 00:27:23.609 to someone you love, you get angry and then you 00:27:23.609 --> 00:27:25.970 feel guilty. I want you to know you need to work 00:27:25.970 --> 00:27:29.569 through that. God doesn't want you to feel guilty. 00:27:29.670 --> 00:27:32.650 In fact, he will often use that to spur you on 00:27:32.650 --> 00:27:34.839 to make a difference. The second group I want 00:27:34.839 --> 00:27:37.420 to talk to is people who, as I was talking, some 00:27:37.420 --> 00:27:39.420 things went through your mind like, you know 00:27:39.420 --> 00:27:41.319 something, there's some issues in our city and 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:43.400 it's bugged me. There's some issues in our company. 00:27:43.500 --> 00:27:46.099 It's bugged me. You know what? There's some discrepancies 00:27:46.099 --> 00:27:48.440 in our church that really bug me and they make 00:27:48.440 --> 00:27:50.559 me angry, but I feel guilty and bad about it, 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:53.740 but I haven't done anything about it. Your anger 00:27:53.740 --> 00:27:56.480 is the light God is putting on the dashboard 00:27:56.480 --> 00:27:59.910 of your heart to say, flashing light. Do something 00:27:59.910 --> 00:28:02.910 about it. Correct the injustice. Make a difference. 00:28:03.049 --> 00:28:05.730 Step into the community. Here's his word to you. 00:28:06.190 --> 00:28:10.509 Act on it. Pray about it. Bounce it off someone 00:28:10.509 --> 00:28:14.549 you trust, but act on it. Be an instrument of 00:28:14.549 --> 00:28:18.109 righteousness in a fallen world. Be good and 00:28:18.109 --> 00:28:22.079 mad. Great advice, Chip. Thanks. As we wrap up, 00:28:22.140 --> 00:28:24.119 I want to thank those of you who make this program 00:28:24.119 --> 00:28:26.660 possible through your generous financial support. 00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:29.660 Your gifts help us create programs, purchase 00:28:29.660 --> 00:28:32.440 airtime, and develop additional resources to 00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:35.240 help Christians live like Christians. Now, if 00:28:35.240 --> 00:28:37.059 you've been blessed by the ministry of Living 00:28:37.059 --> 00:28:39.329 on the Edge, Would you consider sending a gift 00:28:39.329 --> 00:28:42.549 today? You can do that by visiting livingontheedge 00:28:42.549 --> 00:28:48.630 .org or by calling 888 -333 -6003. Again, that's 00:28:48.630 --> 00:28:55.589 888 -333 -6003 or visit livingontheedge .org. 00:28:56.250 --> 00:28:59.170 App listeners tap donate. And please know how 00:28:59.170 --> 00:29:01.650 much we appreciate your support. We'll listen 00:29:01.650 --> 00:29:04.210 to next time as Chip wraps up his series, Overcoming 00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:07.299 Emotions That Destroy. Until then, this is Dave 00:29:07.299 --> 00:29:09.740 Drewy saying thanks for joining us for this edition 00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:11.519 of Living on the Edge.