What's the Purpose of Healthy, Productive Anger?

A state of anger exists when individuals embrace indiscriminate power to hurt and alienate those who should be loved and respected. When anger is turned loose in an emotionally charged setting, the objective is to damage those responsible for the problems.

For some, this defines justifiable anger, but it comes from a person who’s determined to protect and defend their vulnerable self. For that person, anger is now rationalized as an offensive measure designed to get even by means of punishment. Anger and punishment then embrace each other as allies.

Healthy, productive anger management, however, determines to use this powerful emotion for creating solutions for all involved. Listen to Psalm 85:10: “Love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will embrace. Human loyalty will reach up from the earth, and God’s righteousness will reach down from heaven” to those who determine to be peacemakers. Will you? 

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A gentle response defuses anger, but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire. ...God doesn’t miss a thing – he’s alert to good and evil alike. Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim.

~Proverbs 15:1,3-4 The Message

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Created for Relationship - Part 2

If you had to outline in specific terms what you expect from your current relationships, what would your list include? A child psychiatrist has emphasized the necessity for modeling kindness, which she believes has been ignored. She contends that teaching and demonstrating kindness is critical for sustaining healthy companionship.

Do you expect kindness from those with whom you share a relationship? How consciously aware are you of kindness you demonstrate? In a rushed world kindness can be a rare commodity, even to those you love. But what condition must be present in a person to insure expressions of kindness are possible?

Feelings of peace open the door for expressing kindness to others. Peace, love, and kindness fit snugly together, as Psalm 85:10 declares. "Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other." Can these be separated from kindness? Kindness seeps out from the depths of your heart and soul, for this is where God comes to meet you.