You might be thinking I got my title a little mixed up. After all, aren’t anger and joy opposites? What could they possibly have in common?
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Before I explain, I need to talk about fire.
When there is a fire, doesn’t it feed on and effect everything around it? And when a fire runs out of fuel, it will begin to feed on itself, right? And when it does that, it dies out.
Anger is an emotional fire, but this type of fire is unique: when it feeds on itself, it grows stronger!
The longer someone stays angry, the harder it is to release the anger, and the more one dwells on what made them angry in the first place, the angrier they become.
So how can this be like joy?
It can because joy has the same characteristic: when we are happy, the more we think about why we are happy, the happier we become. And the longer we stay happy, the easier it is to stay that way.
One other thing anger and joy have in common is that they are both highly contagious.
When someone is angry, they usually take it out on those around them, making them feel (at the very least) uncomfortable, and more often than not angry with the angry person who is now making them angry.
And when we are joyful, we spread joy to others who can’t help but feeling happy seeing how happy we are.
So, nu? What happens when a joyful person runs into an angry person? Do they neutralize each other? Does the angry person become less angry, and the joyful person more sedate?
It all depends on the person.
You see, another thing anger and joy have in common is that, while they are both easily influenced by external factors, we decide how we will feel.
You choose to be angry, and you choose to be joyful- even though (as I have already pointed out) they are both highly contagious, when in the presence of someone who is happy or mad, we can create an immunity to their feelings, if we choose to.
That’s why some people aren’t influenced by other people’s emotional state and some are- it is entirely up to us to decide how we feel.
Of course, it isn’t as easy as I make it sound, and I can tell you from my own experience it takes a lot to overcome anger, and sometimes it takes a lot to be joyful. But when you come down to it, it is our choice, and though external factors can influence us, the uncomfortable truth is there is no one to blame for how we feel except ourselves.
This is where God comes into play- trusting that God is in charge of our life, and by accepting Yeshua (Jesus) as our messiah and being able to receive forgiveness by means of his sacrifice, we can comfort ourselves knowing that this life is short but eternity is, well…it’s eternal, and nothing that happens in this life will matter all that much.
I once wrote a message called SWISH, which stands for So What, I‘m Saved, Hallelujah!
The next time you hear that hoof-footed guy with horns wearing the red jumper suit sitting on your shoulder and telling you to get back at, be mad, or hate someone, SWISH him away!
Believe me, you will feel much better when you do.
Thank you for being here and please share these messages with everyone you know. Subscribe to my website and YouTube channel, buy my books, and join my Facebook group called “Just God’s Word” (but please make sure you agree to the rules or I can’t let you in).
And remember that I always welcome your comments.
That’s it for today, so L’hitraot and Baruch HaShem!
