Anger and Meekness
Anger is good.
Anger is one of the God given passions, emotions, or we could say an energy source or power that should propel us to
1. Achieve something difficult or arduous
2. Change what is bad or evil
3. Endure something unchangeable without becoming evil ourselves, without despairing, giving up and losing hope.
4. The power of anger is the power of resistance in the soul. (1,81,2)\
Anger becomes sinful when
1. It is disproportionate to the evil you face, or when anger lasts too long or it is too intense
2. Anger is bad if you are concerned with matters over which you have no control, which you have no legitimate right to interfere in
3. Anger is sinful if it is not directed to bring about some good. Anger that is destructive rather than constructive is simply vengeance.
We can judge whether our anger is righteous or sinful by looking through this checklist.
1. Is this anger in proportion to the bad thing that needs to be changed or to the offense or injustice that should be corrected; am I being too angry about this; am I overreacting?
2. Is this something for which I have responsibility or some control; or is this something completely outside of my realm of authority and control. Because if there is nothing I should or can do to change it, then it is useless to waste the emotional energy or power on this this thing – it is counterproductive and actually destructive of my emotional and physical health.
3. Finally, am I going to use this anger to bring about the good or to eliminate an evil or just cause further damage.
We do not want to repress or get rid of anger; we want to harness it.
Anger becomes sinful and destructive when it controls us. Meekness is the virtue, the power, the calm strength, that harnesses the power of anger and direct it toward good.
Meekness makes man master of himself (II, II 157,4)
Meekness comes from two ideas
1. To be NOT easily provoked
2. Harness the energy and power of something strong but out of control
To meek a river was a phrase used to describe redirecting a powerful river by neither letting it run wild; nor damning it up so that it eventually floods over. Instead, when we meek a river we capture the power of the river, harness it and use it to generate power and irrigate fields.
Meekness is the calm strength that harnesses the good power of Anger and directs it for good
1. To Attack, that is, to face up to evil and change the things for good
2. To Endure in patience and cheerfulness
3. To Fight sadness and despair
Meekness is the virtue that keeps us free from enslavement to anger
We harness the power of anger by two steps: Check and Command
When the emotion of anger begins to overwhelm you check it, like a hockey player checking an opponent into the boards. Check anger that is getting out of control – stop it. Then command the right response. What do I mean by this?
When you face something which causes the good emotion of anger to rise within you
Stop
Think – ok before I react, what do I really want when this is all said and done? A wake of destruction, to burn relationships and bridges, vengeance, just to look like an idiot who is out of control. No. What I want in the end is union with God and to do His will. Keep that in the front of your mind.
Now think: What can I do in this situation?
If there is something you can or should do, then Act – Do what you can – Change what is possible
If this thing is not my responsibility or there is nothing I can do, it is beyond my control, then stay calm and stay out of it.
Often, bad things come into our life we cannot control or change: a chronic illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a profession or business, some injustice, failure or defeat. When you face any situation that is beyond your control, anger is the good God given energy to Endure Cheerfully
Hope – have a firm confidence God will work it in my favor - Romans 8:28
Accept it with trust
Offer it up with love and Cooperate with God for your own transformation and to help Christ save souls
Teresa of Avila
Let nothing trouble you / let nothing frighten you
Everything passes / God never changes
Patience obtains all
Whoever has God wants for nothing
God alone is enough