Welcome to Spirit Wednesday where we take a look at all things spiritual from meditation to prayer to cleaning the house. Yes, even house work can be a spiritual experience… if you choose to see it that way.

“Be angry, and don’t sin.”– Ephesians 4:26 World English Bible

This is one thing I have a hard time doing. When I get angry I have a very hard time expressing myself constructively. For instance, if someone tailgates me or passes just so they can turn off at the next road, thereby making me slow down, I have been known to call the driver names. That is not good role modeling for my daughter, I know, but when we get angry it’s tough not to do or say something destructive.

While road rage is the most common display of anger, it’s not the only one. Anger can cause us to be rude to others in a myriad of ways, including tweeting that unintentionally hurts others. Take this example:

@Syfy We don’t watch #wwe #ghosthunters, #taps, #destinationtruth. We are mature scifi fans w/ $$$ and you have lost us by canceling #eureka

This person is trying to express their disappointment in the Syfy channel’s decision to cancel their favorite show, Eureka. I understand their frustration because I enjoy the show, too. However, if you know about hashtags (#), then you can see that this tweet went to everyone who follows #wwe #ghosthunters, #taps, and #destinationtruth. I am one of those followers.

I am neither immature, nor poor. This tweeter inadvertantly labels anyone who enjoys those shows as such. My natural reaction was to jump in to harass the tweeter and defend my other favorite show on Syfy. Neither reaction would have been productive. If I had chosen to do that I would have “sinned in my anger” as this person had.

Being angry is natural. It’s a healthy reaction to negative stimuli. It’s what we do while we’re angry that matters most. Not reacting negatively, not being rude or obnoxious, is perhaps the most difficult thing a person can do when they’re angry, but I think it makes for a better world when we meet that challenge head on.

When have you been in a situation that made you angry? What did you do? What were the consequences?