“But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious
behavior, slander, and dirty language.” – Colossians 3: 8 (NLT)
My dear brothers and sisters, when people came to ask advice
on how to deal with anger, I said to them that it was not easy. The most
important thing is how to control ourselves.
I also advised them to pray privately, asking God so they can have
patience. Often, according to what they
shared, after they had tried to control themselves and prayed, then they were
confronted with the person who had upset them. There, reconciliation and mutual
forgiveness occurred. Slowly but surely,
they could become more patient and know how to control themselves, especially
when anger arises in their hearts.
The Apostle Paul in his advice to the Colossians put
patience in line with forgiveness. We
can be more patient if we are willing to forgive. When looking at people who are annoying and
hurtful, we need to see them from God's perspective. God has forgiven us who often offend
him. Then why don't we forgive our
neighbors? We must understand that we
who believe in Christ have risen with him and we have His power. Therefore, we must think in terms of heavenly
things. Worldly matters, including
anger, crime, slander, and foul language should be a thing of the past.
Brothers and sisters, there are many ways that people teach
to control anger. However, followers of
Christ have already got the direction to be patient. We are new people in Christ, and Christ
himself can help us to control our anger.
What is required of us is not responding to earthly urges. Instead, we strive to be renewed in our new
life. With the love of Christ, we are
strengthened to go ahead in apologizing and forgiving. Amen, –
Reflection on Colossians 3: 1 – 17 by Father Risco Batbual,
SVD
(Listen to the Podcast here)
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