Werewolves

Ever wonder where the Legend of the Werewolf came from?  Check out this article from History.com and you will read all about it.

Why a post about werewolves?  Well, it is October and in true step with my interest in holidays, I figured I would try something tied into the month.  In October we tend to decorate with scary things, we include harvest related things like scarecrows , hay bales and pumpkins of course, but we also include all kinds of creatures that are known to go bump in the night.  

I was talking to my daughter, who is 8, the other day about Halloween.  She asked how it came about.  Well, I have a post for that here from last Halloween. I explained about the All Hallow's eve and why we dress up today.

So, werewolves.  Are you a person who has a hard time controlling their lust for killing people or animals?  Probably not.  But there are times that our blood gets boiling, right?  You feel the need to lash out, scream and just wanna kill someone(hopefully not for real right?)

Jesus spoke about the 6th commandment. Matthew 5:21-25

21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Anger Management

Gary Chapman wrote a book called Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion.  My husband read it a few years ago and he said it really brought to light a lot of things for him.

Gary Chapman also has a nice little quiz that shows you where you are at with some suggestions that point to his book.  In an effort to be transparent this is what my results say:
   

You are doing well, but can improve
Your results are indicative of someone who likely handles your anger well in many situations, but there are still times when your anger is handling you. Recognize the areas where you are doing well in handling your anger, but also be cautious that your anger is not getting out of hand in other ways.

Think about the situations where your anger comes out most often. Is it with loved ones? At work? What happens when you react angrily? Are you a shouter, or do you turn your anger inward? What words do you tend to use? What feelings tend to come out when you’re angry, and how do those feelings find expression, in good ways or bad? Consider the following possibilities for future action:

Action Steps
You would benefit from better understanding the distinction between good anger and bad anger. Definitive (or “good”) anger, as Dr. Chapman describes it, is a normal response to genuine wrongdoing, injustice, or mistreatment. Distorted (or “bad”) anger, on the other hand, is our response to others when we have incorrectly perceived a construed wrongdoing, injustice, or mistreatment. We don’t have all the facts correct in distorted anger. Learn some other key differences between the two responses in chapter four of this book.

Some people look like they have it all together on the outside and rarely appear out of control due to anger, while underneath the façade they tend to simmer with unexamined anger. This “implosive” anger can be characterized by brooding or withdrawal, among other expressions. Dr. Chapman identifies key strategies to deal with implosive anger in chapter six of his book.

Whoops!

Looks like I should read the book huh?  I think we all could use more strategies for anger management in our lives. I'll try to get on that and give you a book review sometime in the next 6 months. No promises though. :)

In the meantime, take stock for yourself here.

Righteous Anger

This article from gotquestions.org talks about righteous anger versus sinful anger. 

The Point?

Take stock the next time your blood gets boiling and before you turn into a werewolf and have blood lust, try managing that anger in an appropriate way.  I know it's hard.  If you look at where you are at in your life and what your triggers are, there are ways to make changes so that you don't get to that boiling point anymore.

Trust that God has a plan for you and that He will come along side you if you ask for his help in this area.

Until next time, try not to howl at the moon too much.

Ephesians 4:26-27

“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.