Anger: Aim It in the Right Direction (Joni Eareckson Tada)

How to Aim Your Anger in the Right Direction

"God, why did you let this happen to me?"

The death of a spouse, the betrayal of a friend, and the disability of a child are often so painful that we want to blame God.

We all have times of anger, disappointment, and frustration. But when we aim that anger at God, we end up feeling empty, frustrated, and lost.

Our anger can either destroy us with self-pity, or God can use it to make us joyful.

The key is to aim the anger in the right direction. To do this, we need to

• Learn to be transparent before the Lord.
• Complain to the Lord in the way that Bible characters did.
• Turn despair Godward.

The topics of anger and bitterness are issues that author, Joni Eareckson Tada, can speak to personally: A diving accident in 1967, when she was 17, left her a quadriplegic. She has lived 45 years in a wheelchair and she has experienced her share of ups and downs. "But," she says, "oh, the difference the grace of God has made in my life."

Let Joni tell you her secrets to peace and joy, despite her wheelchair. She has spent decades studying the Word of God. She knows that God does not enjoy seeing your pain and frustration. He has compassion for you and gives you many ways to deal with life so that you can have peace.

She has taken her most important insights on turning anger into joy (not bitterness) and encapsulated them into this 14-page pamphlet. Whether you or a loved one is suffering. This pamphlet will bring you some help to break free from the strangle hold of anger.

In this pamphlet, you will find hope. Joni tells her story of facing the news of being paralyzed the rest of her life. Joni shows you the right way and the wrong way of dealing with anger. She tells how she dealt with the anger and passes her tips onto others.

You can find freedom from the bondage of anger. Joni has been there and she shows you the way using biblical principles.

14 pages, full color, glossy plastic coating for durability, 8.5 x 5.5 inches, fits inside a Bible cover.

Study Questions:

• Read panels 1-2. What are some ways that people aim their anger in the wrong direction? What happens to people when they do this?
• Read panels 3-6. Joni tells her own story and admits the mistakes she made with turning her anger in the wrong direction. Why is self-pity so destructive? What ideas did you get to break free from self-pity? What does Joni mean when she says: Gut-wrenching questions honor God ?
• Read panel 7. In this story about a common everyday frustration, Joni points out that she learned several truths about herself. Think of a frustration you once handled poorly. What did it show you about yourself? What would you do differently next time?
• Read panels 8-9. How do you think God feels when he sees you in pain? If God is more loving and compassionate than the most devoted human parent, how do you think he sees your current situation? Jesus cried out: Why have you forsaken me? What is the promise Jesus gives us?
• Read panels 10-11. Nighttime is often a breeding ground for worry, doubts, and anger. When do you find your hopelessness is at its worst? Which of Joni's recommendations works for you? Have you got other tips that work for you?
• Read panels 12-13. King David wrote many psalms that tells us (and demonstrate to us) what to do with anger. What was the most important insight you found in this section and why?