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Being Angry the Right Way - Part 4: Walking in Christ Even Amidst Anger · Couples’ Journey Podcast Channel

• 0:00
  Ever find yourselves triggered by the smallest things in marriage,
• 0:03
  like dishes or differing processing styles?
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  Welcome to part four of our podcast weekly series, Being Angry the Right Way.
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  Today, Annie shares her personal journey of recognizing how ingrained habits
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  and perceptions shape our reactions, and how God's grace is guiding them toward growth.
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  Stay tuned. This insight could transform your understanding of emotional maturity
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  in marriage. Here's Annie.
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  My husband Ray and I could list many factors that trigger our anger.
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  Simple things like washing the dishes while cooking can become a point of frustration.
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  For example, I might wash the dishes during our waiting period,
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  but Ray is used to leaving the dishes to fill up in the sink while he finishes his cooking.
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  It's a routine he's comfortable with.
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  What also annoys me is that he tends to use some of the more complicated kitchen utensils.
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  So while I love and look forward to the meal he prepares, I also have to embrace
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  myself for the mountain of dirty dishes that follow.
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  We also practice things differently. I'm an extrovert.
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  I tend to talk through my thoughts as I practice them, which often involves
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  continuous conversation.
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  This can sometimes be disturbing or even annoying to Ray, who is more introverted
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  and needs quite a time to think before he can comfortably converse.
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  For me, an ongoing dialogue feels like partnership in all levels.
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  Ray, however, prefers some personal space for reflection, after which he joins
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  the conversation with a mutual understanding.
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  It took us some time to bridge these differences, but I have observed that distress
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  and unhappiness often arise in our household when anger is expressed inappropriately.
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  At first, I thought it was simply a matter of our differences,
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  something we could easily address by consulting scriptures or seeking advice from experts.
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  Little did we realize that our responses to anger and how we manage it were
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  deeply ingrained behaviors and perceptions shaped since childhood.
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  When we accepted Jesus Christ, we often used the new creation verse as an excuse
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  or reasoning for certain reactions.
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  While the verse carries profound truth and power, it could also be twisted to
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  cover passivity or pride, to avoid confronting the cloudiness of our hearts and minds.
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  True transformation from God is needed.
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  So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only,
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  but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
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  For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
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  Philippians 2, verses 12-13 Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 2,
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  verse 12, to work out our salvation.
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  Yes, Jesus paid the price of our sins and gave us a living hope.
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  We are delivered from the bandage of sin, but that doesn't mean we no longer
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  face challenges or temptations, such as in the matter of anger expression.
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  We are humans with weaknesses, living in a broken world, and Satan continues to tempt us.
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  While we remain vulnerable to sin, our relationship with God and His salvation
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  reveal our discomfort with falling back into it.
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  Our recognition of God's authority and development of a healthy fear of His
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  Lordship continue to humble us.
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  Humble responses to our failures show that we are no longer bound by sin.
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  This humility, marked by repentance, is a reflection of a heart and mind truly transformed by Him.
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  Have we mastered anger after learning
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  and intentionally addressing the cloudiness of our hearts and minds?
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  No, I don't think so. There are still times when our differences are highlighted
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  and triggers for anger surface.
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  But by God's grace, our deliberate pursuit of deeper understanding,
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  both of ourselves and of seeking God, has helped us manage our emotions even
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  amid spiritual warfare.
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  This is only possible through our reliance on God's word and prayer.
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  Without it, we would not experience the power of the Holy Spirit working within us to control anger.
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  Praise God for delivering us from our old selves, who were careless in allowing emotions to sway us.
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  But we also understand that our reliance on His grace is ongoing,
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  knowing that we still have a long way to go.
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  Managing anger isn't about chasing every trigger or applying temporary covers.
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  It's about surrender, continually committing ourselves to walk this life with Christ.
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  This reliance on Him equips us to face triggers and earnestly seek the power of the Holy Spirit.
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  Every instant's attempt to let anger take control is an opportunity for growth,
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  strengthening our partnership as a couple, and fostering a deeper connection
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  rooted in God's grace, mercy, and love.
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  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
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  Philippians 4, verse 13. Again, we need to remember the truth that our strength
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  to manage emotions, like anger, comes from Christ.
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  Reimplacing the idea that surrendering to Him and His power is essential for
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  ongrowing growth and victory in the land of emotions.
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  Before we close, we want to invite you to engage with us and support the Couples
• 5:59
  Journey blog series podcast.
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  By following this channel, leaving comments, and sharing episodes with your
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  family and friends, you're helping us in our mission to transform marriages today.
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  Your support encourages more couples to seek God's guidance and grow stronger together.
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  Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we can make a difference.
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  Here's the final part of today's episode.
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  We hope this episode has encouraged you to see managing anger as a continual
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  surrender to Christ, an ongoing journey of transformation.
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  Remember, our strength comes from Him, and His grace is sufficient every step of the way.
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  Be sure to join us tomorrow as we bring this series to a close with the final reflections.
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  Until then, keep leaning on Jesus and let his love deepen your marriage and your walk with him.