People can get hurt, physically and emotionally—which can then lead to spiritual hurt.  Proverbs 29:11.  Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.  Name some situations or circumstances when it’s okay to feel angry.  Remember to focus on the situation, not a person or group of people.   Examples could be cancer, injustice, pollution, or similar things.  Anger affects people in different ways.  When some people get angry, they might want to punch something or throw something.  Others may want to scream, yell, or stomp their feet.  Other translations of this verse say that fools give full vent to their anger.  That means they just let it all out and unload on anyone and everyone that comes near when they’re angry.  But the last part of that Scripture says that the wise quietly hold it back.   It doesn’t mean the wise don’t get angry, but they are not the ones who will vomit their anger all over anyone in their way.  So, what is the difference between the anger that fools vent and the anger of a wise person?  Let’s look at Jesus.  When Jesus was angry at the “money-changers” in the Temple, He was angry that they were stealing from people.   They were treating the Temple as just another way to scam people out of money.  Similar to those social media scams that say, “Send me $19.95, and I’ll tell you the secret to making millions from the internet.”  Jesus was angry because what they were doing was not right.  When you get angry, are you angry at the person or the situation?    A wise person holds their anger back quietly.  It doesn’t mean that they never feel angry, but they don’t show it very much, very often, or hardly ever at all.  Since every human being on the planet gets angry, including you and I, here are a couple of things you can do to help manage your emotions:  Choose your battles.  Wise people who hold back their anger are able to assess a situation and decide what is worth getting angry about and when they should keep quiet.  There are things that every Christian should get angry about, and do something about if they can—and if God directs them to take certain actions.  Even though people can be extremely passionate about situations and issues, remember that people are made in God’s image and we are called to love everyone— even if we disagree with what they stand for or believe in.  Don’t respond immediately.  When we face a situation that makes us angry, we naturally want to lash out in the moment.   But, don’t!  Take a breath, walk away, do whatever you need to do to keep from responding negatively in the moment of anger.  Then, once you’ve considered an appropriate, Christ-like response, explain that you are angry at the situation, but not the person.  For those who may get angry quickly, there are tools you can use to help manage your anger—consider working out or running to let off some steam.  You can also talk to a trusted adult or friend who will pray with you when you need help.  Sometimes, even just separating yourself from a situation can make a big difference in how you react.  You will find that many things are just not worth getting, or staying, angry over.  God has given us so many tools in His Word that help us in every situation in life.  His desire is to walk with us through all of our emotions and in every situation.  God is with you, even when you’re angry and you can always turn to Him to help you.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pastor-lucy-paynter/support