Joyce Meyer

How to Handle Being Mad Without Being Foolish

Want to hear something ridiculous? Dave and I used to argue over who the actors were in a movie. He had a fixation on Henry Fonda and was always thinking everybody was Henry Fonda. It used to make me so mad when he would say, "Oh, that's Henry Fonda."

One time we stayed up until 1 a.m., waiting for the credits at the end of the movie so I could prove Henry Fonda wasn't in the movie. Then I was tired and cranky the next day.

Finally, the Lord said to me one night, "Joyce, does it really make any difference if Dave lives his whole life, dies and comes to heaven thinking that's Henry Fonda?" It was a foolish thing for us to fight about.

The Trouble with Staying Mad

Exodus 34:6 says God is "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving-kindness." Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools" (NKJV). In other words, it's foolish to get angry quickly or easily. We should be the kind of people who have to be pushed really hard before we get mad.

I remember times when I would be mad at Dave about something and wouldn't let it go. So there were nights when I went to bed mad. I would practically sleep on the edge of the mattress because I didn't want to touch him. And if I didn't have enough blanket to cover me, I wouldn't dare ask him for any. As a result, I was cold and uncomfortable while he slept soundly on the other side of the bed!

It's so important for us to be careful not to sin in our anger (see Ephesians 4:26). It's not God's will for us to have repressed anger, and anger expressed wrongly gets us into trouble. What we need to do when we're mad is talk to God about it, leave it with Him and get over it. Because when we stay angry, we're opening a door for the devil in our life.

You CAN Resist Anger When You're Mistreated

One thing that usually makes people mad is being mistreated. There have been many times when I was mistreated and couldn't do anything about it. It was hard to deal with, but God has comforted me with 1 Peter 4:19, which says when we suffer because we're mistreated, we can do right and commit our souls to God, who will never fail us.

We need to put ourselves in God's hands and trust Him, even when others don't treat us well. I believe that sometimes God leads us into situations where people will mistreat us because He can do something good in us through it. For example, I've learned how to treat people right through the mistreatment I've experienced.

When God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He led them through the wilderness to get to the Promised Land. During that time, they learned through hardship and adversity how to possess the land God had for them. The truth is, we learn more through our difficult times than the easy times.

We have to decide we're going to keep doing what's right while we're going through it - whatever "it" is. You may think you didn't get the promotion you deserved. Or maybe someone you trusted betrayed your confidence or you're going through a personal tragedy…

Look to Jesus and strive to be like Him in the midst of it all. He was always the same…He didn't get mad because someone else was mad or negative when others were negative. He trusted God with His life. He knew God was always in control, no matter how others treated Him.

Make the decision today that you're going to stop being angry with those who mistreat you. Trust God. Put your life in His hands and let Him be in charge. He will never fail you!

For more on this topic, order Joyce's two-DVD set Wisdom and the Blessed Life. You can also contact us to receive our free magazine, Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org <http://www.joycemeyer.org>.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored more than 80 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and The Love Revolution (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org <http://www.joycemeyer.org>.