Teen Anger

We live in a world full of anger.  The music and entertainment we listen too and watch is filled with anger.  We read books like the Hunger Games about children killing each other.  We play with guns and love to watch people fight.  We yell when we want to get a point across.  We are filled with anger yet we wonder why our students and children are filled with anger.

Bullying is an incredible issue with junior highers right now.  Students are filled with anger and this is how they release their anger.  They feel the rush of emotion as they release their anger on somebody else.  This can happen using words, fists, or even a look.  Releasing anger seems natural to many of our students, but why?

A big problem in junior high ministry is that we are trying to teach students how to deal with emotions like anger in a way that pleases God.  The problem with this is that many of us parents, teachers, ministers, volunteer leaders don’t handle our anger in a Godly manner either.  We all know that students learn better by seeing an example than by just hearing a message.  Our students learn that anger and fighting can be entertainment at a very young age, and we teach them this by what we view as entertainment.

Many times if we want to raise our children or students to understand how to handle anger properly, we need to examine how we handle anger.  We need to listen to ourselves in the way we correct or discipline.  We need to make sure that love shines above all else in every situation.

The picture above shows a student about ready to kick another student.  I don’t question why this student is doing this.  I understand anger and fierce emotion.  My question today is, “Who did they learn this from?”  “Who showed this student how to express the emotion of anger in this way?”

Was it you?  We must examine ourselves to make sure we are setting the proper example in all areas of our life.

James 1:19-21 says:

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human angerdoes not produce the righteousnessGod desires. ²¹ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

God’s Love conquers all!