A few years ago I read a quote from a book that stated ANGER IS FEAR’S BODYGURAD by Celeste Ng in Little Fires Everywhere. I had never heard this statement before and it stirred something in me. Was this true? Was anger fear’s bodyguard?
“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy, no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” – Psalm 34:4-5
When we are experiencing anger or fear, we tend to lash out or withdrawal inside ourselves. We can become emotional and yell, stomp our feet, cry, behave irrationally, or all of the above. In this verse, King David was afraid for his safety as this is likely addressing his escape from the Philistine king, Abimelech (1 Samual 21:10-15). In this Psalm, David is determined to give honor and glory to God who has saved him in the past. As David remembers the faithfulness of God to strengthen him and protect him, his hope and confidence in the Lord to be with him and deliver him from this current fear is also strengthened.
What can we learn from David’s experience in this passage? Here are a few lessons:
- Pray to the Lord. Anger may drive us to lash out to others with hurtful words or actions if we let it rule us. Fear may chain us in our own internal prison with the inability to act at all. When we stop and pray, not only do we give ourselves a moment to calm down, we allow our great counselor to step in and help us.
- The Lord answers us. Jesus hears our prayers. In 1 Peter 3:12 the scripture states, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” As followers of Christ, we have a direct line to the Jesus’s phone. His is waiting for our call…our prayer to Him. When we must invite him into our life and our experiences, he will hear us and he will answer. Maybe not the way we want it answered but he will answer.
- Jesus frees us. We are in bondage when we allow fear and anger to control us. The enemy would love for us to stay chained. Through prayer and the guidance from the Holy Spirit in us, we may be freed from the chains of fear and anger. We can be held in the arms of Jesus as our protector.
- We are filled with joy. With Jesus intervening for us and freeing us from the bondage of fear and anger, we are able to rejoice and radiate to others a strength, patience and calm that is beyond our own understanding. Philippians 4:6-7 states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests by made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen!
- We will bear no shame. When we allow our emotions to rule us, we may find ourselves acting in a way that we will regret later. These responses may cause us to feel guilty or ashamed of our behavior. However, Jesus has the power to bring victory over this behavior. As we rejoice in His protection, we are also able to celebrate that we carry no shame from actions and words we regret.
We may be experiencing anger or fear from a variety of life’s circumstances such as illness, job security, abuse, relationship difficulties, political collapse, war, or everything in between. It may or may not be true that “Anger is fear’s bodyguard”, but we do know through God’s Word that faith replaces fear. Faith will help us remove fear and anger from dominating us and keeping us in bondage.
God promises He will be with me through all of my circumstances…the good and the bad. He will never leave me. God promises that He has a plan for me…a plan for good, not evil. A plan for prosperity in Him. God promises that His kingdom WILL WIN and that I am a child of His who will inherit in His kingdom. And guess what…He not only has made these promises to me, but to YOU also. When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, when you repent from your sin and turn back to God, then all these promises are yours too.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for loving me even though I still feel fear and anger at times. Help me to overcome these emotions…to not let them rule me…and to put my trust in you. Help me to rely on Your promises and truth and not get pulled into the comments and opinions of mankind. You know me more than I know myself and I desire to trust in You for all things. Amen.
Hugs & blessings, Sweet Circle,
Stacy
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