Thursday, February 03, 2011

Pacifying Wrath

Esther 7:10 KJV
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

Years ago I was asked to teach a program on anger management to a young man attending our church who was in trouble with the law. I developed my own lessons for him and based much of it out of this text. To be honest I don't know if I still have those lessons. But as I read these words today I saw three things that pacified the king's wrath

First, he removed himself for a moment
We should never react but always deliberately act. That often requires that we step away from a situation long enough to compose ourselves.

Second, he dealt with the problem
Haman's face was covered and he was taken into custody. We must get a handle on whatever is causing the wrath. I note that the king had help here. He did not handle this alone. Many of those things that cause us the most grief will require we enlist some help. It may be someone who helps us with the burden. It may be someone who comes along as a witness. It might be someone who holds us accountable. The key is we are not alone.

Finally, the king mortified the evil
If that is personal sin that makes us angry it has to be slain. If it is something in our lives that causes anxiety it must be done away with. Some stressors can't be easily slain. In those cases we must kill the stress they cause, perhaps through a good workout routine.

We don't have to live in anger. Reconciliation with Christ brings with it peace with God, peace with our neighbors and a peace that passeth all understanding.

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