It's Hard To Be A Leader If You're Addicted To Anger
January 1, 2008
(James 3:7-8) For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way - that is not easy.
Anger can eat a person up.
People who explode and express anger easily can cause great harm to those they are called to encourage. It's important for us to understand anger and it's ability to destroy.
Exploding because someone hurt you. When most people get hurt, they cry out. This is natural. But it is not healthy to express anger, every time someone hurts your feelings.
A good leader has the ability to harness his anger and even shift it toward healthy and more productive areas. Mistreating someone because they hurt you is not just. It is bullying.
It is entirely possible that the person who hurt you did it un-intentionally and without meanness. You would be wise to forgive them quickly and swallow that anger before you create a split in a relationship that cannot be mended.
Being addicted to anger. Some people love to be angry. They enjoy the feeling of power they get when they have told someone off. They actually look for opportunities to get after someone or give someone a hard time.
These people are addicted to the emotion of anger and have no place in any type of leadership. It is important to be a person of peace. If you find yourself constantly getting angry at others for little reasons, you might be addicted to anger. Just like any other addict, you can actually build up patience for this drug. Once this happens, you will find it necessary to constantly become angrier in order to get the same excitement. This could end in a terrible way if you do not get deliverance from this addiction.
Using anger to get your way. Most people learn to get what they want through anger, at a very early age. Babies learn quickly to cry out in anger when they are not getting what they want. They will use anger tantrums to control their parents who simply want to quiet them down.
These same people grow up believing that they can use anger to get their way all the time. On the job, they will use anger to cause others to cave into their demands. These people may not stomp their feet in the workplace, but you know when they are mad and they will use this to control others.
Who anger hurts. Anger usually hurts those closest to you. Family, friends, and close age groups are usually hurt by people given to anger. People outside your circle of influence will find humor in your outbursts, but those close to you will be damaged as they are usually the target of your outbursts of anger. Anger is a stronghold that you can be delivered from. It's power to hurt and damage must be controlled if you are going to be an encourager to those already beaten down by this world.
Related Articles
« Back to Articles