The Angry Christian: A Bible-based Strategy to Care for and Discipline a Valuable Emotion
By Bert Ghezzi and Brandon Vogt
()
About this ebook
If we are seeking a secret that will simply eliminate anger, we're pursuing a vain hope. Anger will surely be with us until we die. It may even go with us to heaven, where the Lord may allow us to share his anger at the evils that afflict his creation. But we can learn to increase good anger and to minimize the bad. That's the Christian approach summed up by Paul when he admonished the Ephesians to "Be angry, but do not sin" (Eph 4:26). If used constructively, anger can even help us live a more Christian life.
This is not a psychology or self-help book. It presents a Bible-based strategy for caring for and disciplining a valuable emotion. It describes a method that helps us use anger successfully to overcome the obstacles strewn across the path of our Christian journey. The book contains questions for discussion, personal reflection and application which make it ideal for either individual or group use.
Bert Ghezzi
A popular Catholic author and speaker, Bert Ghezzi has written twenty-six books, including The Heart of Catholicism,Voices of the Saints, Mystics and Miracles, and Prayers to the Holy Spirit. Hundreds of his articles have appeared in the religious press. Ghezzi has been involved in religious education for more than forty years. He has served as a leader and teacher in several Catholic renewal movements and has spoken at numerous educational and renewal conferences throughout the United States and Canada. He appears frequently as a guest on EWTN, which also features his television series Signs of Our Times. Ghezzi is often interviewed on Catholic radio and his two-minute spots on saints play regularly on EWTN radio. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, Ghezzi worked for seven years as a professor at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. He has served as a senior editor for five publishing companies since 1975 and now works as an acquisitions editor for Our Sunday Visitor’s book division. Bert and Mary Lou, his wife of fifty years, have seven children and sixteen grandchildren. The Ghezzis live in Winter Park, Florida. You can read Ghezzi’s blog at www.bertghezzi.com.
Read more from Bert Ghezzi
The Power of Daily Mass: How Frequent Participation in the Eucharist Can Transform Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Adventures in Daily Prayer: Experiencing the Power of God's Love Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5The Heart of Catholicism: Practicing the Everyday Habits That Shape Us Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSaints at Heart: How Fault-Filled, Problem-Prone, Imperfect People Like Us Can Be Holy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLiving the Sacraments: Grace Into Action Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Angry Christian
Related ebooks
What's Your Anger Type for Christians: Good Anger Versus Bad Anger Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Journey From Anger to Peace: Be Angry but Do Not Sin Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAltar-Egos: Building Trust Openness and Truth in the Church Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRemove the Roots of Bitterness Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnger, a Biblical Perspective Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow You can Have Victory Over Temptation and Sin... Right Now! A Book of Hope Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDelayed by Deceit: Unmasking Spiritual Warfare Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Anatomy of Anger: A Girl's Guide to Living Her Best Life in Christ Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEnvy: The Enemy Within Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gallant Fool: Tragic Effects of Leading with Wounds and a Surprising Solution Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Glorious Boaz: Let Your Widows Trust and Confide in Him Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJoy and Tears: The Emotional Life of the Christian Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSword Fighting: Applying God's Word to Win the Battle for our Mind Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeeds of Change: The Wisdom of the Word Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEscape from Anger; Step by Step Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pursuit of Peace Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSexual Purity: Homosexuality Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet Go of Anger and Stress!: Be Transformed by the Fruits of the Spirit Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOvercoming Jealousy in the Church & in Ministry: A Charge to the Sons and Daughters of God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAngry People (Living Lessons From God’s Word): . . . and What We Can Learn from Them Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Call to Clarity: Set Yourself Free from Confusion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGetting the Best of Your Anger: Before It Gets the Best of You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Christian Woman's Guide to Overcoming Messy Emotions Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConverge Bible Studies: Reclaiming Anger Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Spiritual Enemies: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Practice of Forgiving Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTurbulent Hope: A Discussion Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Be Free from Depression Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boundaries with Kids: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Children Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wild at Heart Expanded Edition: Discovering the Secret of a Man's Soul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex: Creating a Marriage That's Both Holy and Hot Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5NIV, Holy Bible Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When the Old Ways Stop Working Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for The Angry Christian
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Angry Christian - Bert Ghezzi
INTRODUCTION
A Destructive Emotion?
IF WE HAD A METER that measures the degree of anger we are experiencing in our society, the needle would be quivering in the extreme red zone. We are all very, very angry. On the national scene we rage over matters that divide us—racism, immigration, politics, and more. And we feel imprisoned in anger over personal difficulties—failure, broken relationships, chronic illness, the death of a close relative, and so on. Anger also runs high among Christians. Many Catholics, for example, were so incensed over the priests’ child abuse scandal that they left the church. Others stayed, but, like my friend Sarah, they quietly fume. Some not so quietly. My concern for the many angry people I bump into prompted me to reissue this book. I am confident that it can help readers confront their anger and deal with it effectively.
Let’s face it. Anger is dangerous, and we must not trifle with it. It is a powerful emotion that can either cause much harm or achieve much good. That either-or
may surprise some readers whose only experience of anger has been bad. Most people who pick up a book like this don’t expect to find much good in anger, and usually seek relief from the ravages this violent feeling generates.
But God gave us anger as a gift, not as a punishment. He made it a standard part of our human nature. Like any other valuable part—for example, hands, sight, desire—whether anger achieves good or evil depends on how we use it. The trouble is that anger often controls us, not vice versa.
If we are seeking a secret that will eliminate our anger, we are pursuing a vain hope. Anger will surely be with us until we die. It may even go with us to heaven, where the Lord may allow us to share his anger at the evils that afflict his creation. But we can learn to increase good anger and to minimize the bad. That’s the Christian approach summed up by Paul when he admonished the Ephesians, Be angry, but do not sin
(Eph. 4:26). If used constructively, anger can even help us live a more Christian