H
ave you ever been told, “Get a handle on your emotions…get a hold of yourself…get a grip!”? Each of these phrases implores us to take control…take charge…take responsibility—and not let our emotions rule over us. That first means getting a firm grasp of the situation. And that’s what this book is about: learning how to lay a strong foundation and build a victorious life.

This book—the first in the
Counseling Through the Bible Series
—contains six related topics from H
OPE FOR THE
H
EART’S
100-topic
Biblical Counseling Library
. And each topic—called “Biblical Counseling Keys”— is divided into four distinct parts:
Definitions, Characteristics, Causes,
and
Solutions.
Each topic contains both biblical principles and practical steps that will help you be all God created
you to be
…so you can do all He created you to do.

If you’ve ever flown off the handle with anger, been pressed down by the weight of depression, found yourself fraught with fear…if you’ve grappled with grief, wrestled with rejection, or struggled with self-worth, then realize this: God has a firm grasp on your situation, and has provided the necessary tools in His Word to help you know
How to Handle Your Emotions.

Therefore…

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”

(2 T
IMOTHY
2:15).

Ultimately, this can be a life-changing book enabling you to get a handle on life—the life God created you to live.

Yours in the Lord’s hope,
June Hunt

ANGER

Facing the Fire Within

I. Definitions of Anger

A. What Is the Meaning of Anger?

B. What Is the Magnitude of Anger?

C. What Are Some Misconceptions About Anger?

D. What Is the Misuse of Anger?

II. Characteristics of Anger

A. What Are Your Anger Cues?

B. Do You
Act
or
React
When You Are Angry?

C. What Are the Symptoms of Unresolved Anger?

D. Do You Have Hidden Anger?

III. Causes of Anger

A. What Are the Four Sources of Anger?

B. What Causes a Sudden Change of Intensity?

C. How Do Expectations Lead to Anger?

D. What Is the Root Cause of Anger?

IV. Steps to Solution

A. Key Verse to Memorize

B. Key Passage to Read and Reread

C. Analyze the Amount of Your Anger

D. How to Analyze Your Anger

E. Are You Harboring Anger Toward God?

F. How to Resolve Your Past Anger

G. How to Rid Yourself of Childhood Anger

H. Know the Quick Answer to Anger

I. How to Alleviate Your Present Anger

J. How to Convey Your Anger Appropriately

K. Answers to Common Questions

L. Accept God’s Aim for Anger

ANGER
Facing the Fire Within

T
he day begins like any other day, but ends like no other—for on this day, he gives full vent to his anger…and, as a result, finds himself running for his life.

He is part of a mistreated minority—grievously persecuted, not for doing something wrong, but for being perceived as a threat. Raised with privilege in the palace of a king, he had been spared the heartless treatment inflicted on his kinsmen. But watching the
injustice
day after day and year after year finally becomes too much for him to bear.

When he sees one of his own people suffering an inhumane beating at the hands of an Egyptian, Moses is filled with rage. He snaps. In an instant he kills the Egyptian and hides the body in the sand. But his angry, impetuous act is not committed in secret. When news of the murder reaches Pharaoh, Moses fears for his life and flees (see Exodus chapter 2).

When you look at the life of Moses, you can see both the power and the potential problems inherent in anger. Has anger ever clouded your judgment to the point that you acted rashly, and later regretted it? Ultimately, you have the choice to
act
wisely or to
react
foolishly. In his lifetime, Moses did both. And like him, you can learn to keep your anger under control. You can learn how to act rather than react! In doing so, you will demonstrate wisdom.

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control”

(P
ROVERBS
29:11).

I. D
EFINITIONS OF
A
NGER

Understandably, Moses felt anger over the
unjust
treatment of his Hebrew brothers, but what he did with that anger got him into trouble. Moses allowed his emotions to overpower him. He committed an impulsive crime, and a serious one at that—murder.

Although Moses was right about the
injustice,
his reaction was wrong. His hotblooded volatility revealed how unprepared he was for the task God had planned for him. Consequently, God kept Moses on the back side of a desert for the next 40 years so he would realize that rescuing his own people
in his own way
would ultimately fail.

Moses needed to learn this vital lesson well before God could turn him into the leader through whom God would accomplish His will
in His supernatural way.
In truth, Moses had tried to earn the Israelites’ respect by coming to their rescue. Instead, his murderous rage earned only their scorn.

“Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not”

(A
CTS
7:25).

A. What Is the Meaning of Anger?

What began as a smoldering ember in the heart of Moses quickly burst into deadly flames. Perhaps no one noticed the angry sparks flying from his eyes, but his spirit was consumed with the heat of anger. What do you do when you’re inflamed with angry thoughts and feelings?

Firefighters know the danger of letting a flame get out of control. They are trained to respond quickly. You must respond quickly also in order to control the flame of anger before it consumes your life and destroys your relationships. How true it is that

“a quick-tempered man does foolish things”

(P
ROVERBS
14:17).

•
Anger
is a strong emotion of irritation or agitation that occurs when a need or expectation is not met.
¹

“An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins”

(P
ROVERBS
29:22).

•
Angry
people in the Bible are often described as hot-tempered and quick-tempered.

“A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel”

(P
ROVERBS
15:18).

•
Angry
in the Old Testament, is most frequently the Hebrew word
aph,
which literally means “nose” or “nostrils” and figuratively depicts nostrils flaring with anger. Later,
aph
came to represent the entire face as seen in two ancient Hebrew idioms:
²