The Face of Aggression

James 1:19-21 My dear brothers and sisters, always be more willing to listen than to speak. Keep control of your anger. Anger does not help you live the way God wants. So get rid of everything evil in your lives—every kind of wrong you do. Be humble and accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts.

The more pressure we’re under, the more prone we are to outbursts of anger. Don’t know if you’ve noticed but the pressure all around us is rising and with it, so too, are the outbursts of anger.

There’s a big difference between being assertive and being aggressive. There are times when we do need to be assertive – it’s something that a lot of people struggle with, but it’s a very necessary skill that each one of us needs to learn to use with great wisdom. If somebody’s heading down the wrong path for instance, stepping over boundaries that they shouldn’t be, then we need to be assertive to correct that.

But at some point, assertion can turn into aggression. That’s when anger raises its ugly head. That’s what road rage is all about. I’ve been the victim of road rage. The vehicle in front of me was driving erratically so I honked my horn. At the next lights he pulled up next to me, yelled and swore until he was red in the face and then punched my side mirror so hard that it smashed. That’s aggression. It’s ugly and it’s wrong.

Being assertive from time to time takes courage, and it’s a sign of strength. Being aggressive is a sign of immaturity and weakness. So … let’s not get the two mixed up.

Way too many people have their anger on a hair-trigger. It goes off with the slightest pressure. Anger is not the answer.

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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The Face of Aggression

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