I wrote a book called Love Slows Down that talks about how all anger is rooted in fear. Typically, anger comes from feeling a threat in one of three areas:

1. Security (physical, emotional, financial)
2. Connection (feeling loved, valued, and esteemed by others)
3. Empowerment (the ability to make choices)
 
Whenever you feel anger, you can be pretty confident that it’s because you feel a threat to one of those three areas. The good news is that anger isn’t a sin – it’s just a sign. It only turns into a sin if you respond to it in the wrong way by lashing out in your words or actions. Anger is like a dashboard light, indicating that there’s something you need to look into under the hood. When you feel angry about something happening around you, it’s always because of something happening inside you. When you feel anger rising up, it’s a sign that you need to address something happening inside of you. In a weird way, anger and frustration can be gifts that help us see areas of our lives that need to be given to God.
 
The emotion of anger is often closely related to feelings about politics because often our political opinions are related to our fears about security, connection, and empowerment. And anger tends to create more anger. Oftentimes, we respond to other peoples’ anger with our own anger. But, as James says, “…human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:20) When you feel yourself getting angry at someone for what they believe or express online (or in person), take a moment to step back and calm down. Be slow to speak. Repeat the prayer of Francis: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”
 
See if you can figure out what fear the person is trying to express. See if you can find a common connection with that person and their fear. Ask God to help you with your own fears. Then, ask God to show you how you can love that person right in the middle of their fear. They may not respond well because they’re angry. But just knowing that an angry person is a fearful person can help us have patience with them (and ourselves) as we navigate conversations and relationships.

May we be those who “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16) by being instruments of peace this election season.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Thomas Barwick

Joël Malm is the founder of Summit Leaders where he uses outdoor adventure and leadership coaching to help people find their calling and pursue a vision for their lives. His expeditions have taken him around the world to places like Mt. Kilimanjaro, Grand Canyon, and Machu Picchu. He has traveled in over seventy countries on six continents and speaks three languages. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and an M.S. in Counseling.
He speaks at churches, conferences, and corporate events around the country and is the author of seven books, including Vision Map (Moody Press), Connecting the Dots, and Keep It Light. (Salem/Regnery) He and his wife Emily and daughter Elise live in Texas.
Find out more at: http://joelmalm.com