If you were to take yourself aside and ask yourself  about your anger, what would you say? Based on James 1.19-21, these are a series of questions for you to ask yourself— ask your anger.

1. First, think for yourself if you are growing in being attentive, quickly attuned and aware of others in what they say verbally and non-verbally?
2. Second, think for yourself if you are growing in holding back your first instinct to speak, being careful, considered, thoughtful, and poignant in what you say?  Paul Tripp says, in his excellent book War of Words, “God is at work, taking people who instinctively speak for themselves and transforming them into people who effectively speak for him.” Are you being quick to speak for yourself?
3. Third, Think for yourself if you are resisting and fighting against being irritable and impatient. Or are you easily angered, because you are always angry, just good at hiding it?
4. Fourth, Ask your spouse, family member or close friend whether you are changing for the good in these ways. Or are you stagnating. Ask your co-workers or extended family members if they see change.
5. Fifth. Will you yield to God today, and in that biblical way of Jer 4, Hos 10 ask Him to  ‘break up your fallow ground’ which is to ask God to grant you to repent of your hardness?
6. Sixth, will make today a turning point away from  filthiness and rampant wickedness? Your tax fraud. Your pre-marital sex. Your drug use.  Your fantasizing. Your filthy mouth.
7. Seventh, will you make today, a turning point, toward the Word of God, toward the Word heard together in this gathering, toward the Word shared together in these relationships, toward the Word confessed together in your local church?