Keith Battle - Spring Cleaning Pt 3. Anger Removal

Turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 7. This is part three of this series called «Spring Cleaning.» Spring cleaning is a time when we all take a moment to go through our houses and declutter. We get rid of things we’re not using anymore, go through our closets, and give away clothes. We reupholster furniture, replace items, and repair things. It’s an opportunity to do that in our physical homes, and we want to make it analogous to what we need to do in our spiritual homes and in our bodies that we move around in. I think anything you do in the house you live in should also be done in the house you occupy physically. In part one, we talked about the power of guilt and grief, and I provided you with ten things to help you work through these heavy burdens. Losing something—a relationship, a loved one, or even money—can be difficult. You’re not only grieving what you lost, but you’re also feeling guilty because you might think, «If I had done what I was supposed to do, I would still have what I lost.» Some people are medicating themselves with alcohol and drugs, resulting in depression that hinders their progress. I’m saying you have to keep living; you have to keep going. There are people in your life who want you to check back in because you’ve been checked out. You may still wish things were like they were, but they will never be the same. It is what it is. Your best days can still be in front of you if you would only check back in. Sometimes, that may require counseling or processing. First, you need to ask God to forgive you, and then you have to forgive yourself. Just because you’ve moved on doesn’t mean you didn’t value what you lost. I wish I still had it, but I have to move on. Let’s encourage someone, as they may need to hear that—just say, «Move on!» I didn’t hear you, so sometimes I’m preaching up here, and you’re preaching down there. You need to feel that—that part too. We talked about replacing and repairing things, and I won’t go into all of that. You can watch it online, or purchase a DVD or CD. Today, I want to discuss things that need to be removed. I conducted a little study on mold and how it can infiltrate your home. Sometimes you don’t realize mold is present until it manifests. The manifestation of mold may appear on a wall or ceiling; it is not the mold itself, but rather evidence that mold is present. There are protocols for removing mold, as there are different levels, like Level One mold protocols and Level Two. There are items you’re supposed to wear when addressing mold, along with specific chemicals that must be sprayed on contaminated areas. They emphasize isolating the contaminated area so that mold doesn’t spread. They even advocate running tests on various parts of the house to see if mold exists and then removing it in a plastic bag. By the way, some people see mold and simply paint over it or spackle it in, but just because you’ve covered it doesn’t mean it’s gone. That’s how we often handle issues in our lives. This constant repairing and re-evaluating is a comprehensive process, and I think that’s similar to what we have in our lives—like mold, there’s anger. Often, you don’t even know anger is present until it manifests, such as when you unexpectedly explode or lash out at someone. I want to talk about removing anger from our lives just as we need to remove mold because, although anger in itself is not evil, anger that lingers too long or is expressed too vehemently can be dangerous.

Listen to Ecclesiastes chapter 7, verse 9 from the Good News Bible. This is what it says: «Keep your temper under control.» Do me a favor and just tell someone, «Keep your temper under control.» I know you hate doing that; I don’t care. I’m provoking you by saying it. Keep it simmering, keep it under control. It is foolish to harbor a grudge. Keep your temper in check!

How about this: Ephesians 4:26 from the Message Bible states, «Go ahead and be angry; you do well to be angry, but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge, and don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry; don’t give the devil that kind of foothold in your life.» That’s good. Let me unpack some of this. Now let’s look at another translation. I think I have the Good News Translation. Ephesians 4:26 says, «If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. Don’t give the devil a foothold.»