Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. Be slow to speak and quick to listen... The more anger towards the past we carry in our heart, the less capable we are of loving in the present.

Holding onto anger is like holding onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; we're the one who gets burned. Anger will never disappear so long as thoughts of resentment are cherished in the mind. Anger will disappear just as soon as thoughts of resentment are forgotten (Buddha).

As the story goes, a young lady named Sally, relates an experience she had in a Seminary Class, given by her teacher, Dr. Smith. She says Dr. Smith was known for his elaborate object lessons.

One particular day, Sally walked into the seminary and knew they were in for a fun day. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table were many darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of someone that they disliked or someone who had made them angry, and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother. Sally drew a picture of a former friend, putting a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. Sally was pleased at the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts, with much laughter and hilarity. Some of the students threw their darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart.

Sally looked forward to her turn, and was filled with disappointment when Dr. Smith, because of time limits, asked the students to return to their seats. As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target.

Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus ...

A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covered His face and His eyes were pierced. Dr. Smith said only these words ... "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me," Matthew 25:40. No other words were necessary; the tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ.

Maybe we should look for the Christ in people before we throw darts ... to Jesus. Let us pray that we see that the things we do and say are not the result of compulsion but of choice. We are free to obey or free to disobey. Let us use our freedom in the right way.

Anger, according to Mark Twain, is an acid that can do more harm to be in vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

Related article (Click this link): Anger Management

By Tim Pedrosa

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty ;and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32