Twisting your Ankle with Anger

Our son twisted his ankle in the living room the other day.  It’s a bit of an odd location to twist an ankle, as the living room is not generally used for physical activity (unless of course you have an 8-year old boy living in the house).  The kicker here, pun intended, is that he twisted his ankle by kicking the couch.  How did he twist his ankle by kicking the couch?  Because he does not know how to properly kick.  But, why did he kick the couch?  He was angry.

Have you ever made a decision out of anger?  Of course you have; we all have.  And we all know how those decisions tend to go: poorly.  But have you ever thought about why choices made from anger are bad choices?  I believe I know the answer.  When I make choices based on my feelings, my choices are selfish.  Anger is a mega-feeling.  It usually spikes a higher frequency of feeling than other emotions.  This is why making choices out of anger is so dangerous for us.

As Silas, our son, hobbled around the living room, now angry about his foot more than the original reason for his anger, I took the opportunity to teach him this valuable lesson.  Little did he know that it is in his genes.  His mom and dad are imperfect people who made plenty of angry choices when we were young (and maybe a few more than we’d like to admit as adults).  It gave us a chance to connect, and it gave him a chance to consider the consequences of his choices.

Anger is a bad choice.  And bad choices typically lead to bad outcomes.  So, here’s a tip from the Smith family living room:  When you are angry, pause.  Take a breath.  Think about what matters most, not what matters in the moment.  Remind yourself that angry choices take you down a road full of regret, and pump the brakes.  God wants better FOR you.  He doesn’t want you to twist your ankle by kicking the couch in anger.