“And to be honest, if you discover that you’re carrying a heart full of anger, that won’t come as a surprise to the people who love you the most. They’ve known for a long time. And changer are, they’ve been praying that one day you would wake up and see it for yourself.”- Andy Stanley
As Andy Stanley continues Chapter 7 of Enemies of the Heart, he observes that we’re most aware of what our hearts contain when our hearts are stirred. So, Pastor Stanley states, you possess an angry heart if you feel:
- like a volcano’s slowly brewing inside you , even if friends tread ever so slowly on the thin ice around you
- compelled to interrupt and defend (i.e. explain) yourself while friends state their case
- like you want to just walk or run away
- get angry at your friend for answering a question you asked
However, Andy exhorts, feel encouraged when you discover anger lodged in your heart. Because anger gains its strength from secrecy. As a result, it’s painful, yet powerful, to expose your anger. And, you have a story to tell.
But, you hesitate to explain where all that angry energy comes from. Intuitively, you know that exposing your anger to the light causes that anger to lose its potency. And that means you lose your excuse to stay angry. Also, you find it uncomfortable to go through such an ordeal. So it’s easier to just keep your story to yourself.
Most noteworthy, Andy notes, if you find yourself in this situation, you’re actually one story away from heart health. When you force yourself to bring your story to light, you may deal a fatal blow to your anger. Therefore, don’t get comfortable with the anger that’s become part of you. Don’t let the idea of letting your anger go threaten you.
Today’s question: Do people tell you that you’re carrying a heart full of anger? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Good excuses rarely collect dust”
