COURAGE | HOPE | DESTINY | INSPIRATION | LIFE
The Price of Right
We can be right all the way to the grave…but is it worth the price we’ll pay?
According to Roman Catholic theology, there are seven habits that lead to immoral behavior: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. It’s hard to deny those “seven deadly sins” wreak havoc in our lives today. Take wrath for instance, more typically thought of as uncontrolled feelings of anger, rage, or hatred.
Have you ever considered the consequences of rage? Just take a look at America’s culture. Young people taking to the streets, burning, rioting, and stealing from others they don’t even know––even murder isn’t off the table.
Rage consumes the soul and spawns hatred. And sadly, hatred is a learned emotion that feeds on itself.
I cringe at the thought of America’s youth learning how to hate so well!
When pressure of internal torment intensifies, it takes little irritation to ignite the emotional fuse of irrational fury––and sadly, the consequences of anger are far more grievous than the original cause.
Anger is a double-edged sword that effects the perpetrator as well as the recipient. It festers in the soul and destroys everyone and everything in its path. Be it physical, emotional, or verbal, the collateral damage is tragic.
The casualties of physical injury and destruction of property are obvious––and equally appalling. But those who pander to the threats encourage further abuse.
An undisciplined child will never learn discipline if his/her violent acts have no consequences…and so it is with adults.
Bullying is mental and emotional abuse and it imprisons victims in silent bondage. They are the walking wounded who forge through life often unaware of why they struggle.
It’s hard to fix something when you don’t understand it is broken.
Words hold a power over those they touch. If they are uttered in anger, they can be a formidable weapon and, once spoken, the venom can never be rescinded.
Words can cause irreparable damage, and the abuse festers. We’ve read about children tormented by bullies. Some children can be cruel never realizing the damage they inflict on others. As adults, it is our responsibility to help them understand and break destructive cycles.
Today’s society spawns human trafficking and slavery––a tragic smear on our culture. And the indulgence takes abuse to a dispicable low that runs rampent worldwide. We see reports on the news so often we’re no longer shocked––and sadly, these unconscionable acts are steeped in power, greed, lust, and gluttony.
No matter where anger is aimed, a target is damaged.
Once rooted, the effects of rage control our destiny. Like a malignant cancer, it devours love, hope, and happiness.
Arguments, feuds, battles, and wars are all born of anger. Even if anger stems from righteous indignation, unbridled, the consequences are devastating.
We can be right all the way to the grave…but is it worth the price we’ll pay?
Fed by an inflamed source, even if that source is propaganda, rage pits brother against brother, child against parent, and left against right. Hate breeds hate...and violence breeds violence.
So, how do we stop the vicious cycle? There comes a time when we all must stand up and speak out.
We can handle our own rage. Everyone feels anger from time to time, it’s human nature. How do you calm your anger?
I take a breath. Do something physical to disperse the tension like working out, running, or writing. Walk in nature or listen to music…like this amazing song written and sung by the Bee Gees.
Take a listen. You might be surprised at how this song releases pent-up emotion.
It’s just emotion that’s taken me over
Tied up in sorrow, lost in my soul
But if you don’t come back
Come home to me, darling
You know that there’ll be nobody left in this world to hold me tight
Nobody left in this world to kiss goodnight…
The “seven deadly sins” are as perilous today as they were in antiquity, but their contrary virtues help us thrive. We can use them to ward off the demons and find balance in our lives.
Humility against pride, kindness against envy, self-restraint against gluttony, morality against lust, generosity against greed, diligence against laziness, and patience against anger.
We can learn to vent the emotion without hurting others. Defuse the fury. Work out, run, or write. Physically releasing anger defuses the powerful anxiety exploding inside.
If we value the virtues, defuse destructive emotions, and teach our children well, perhaps we can help shape a more nurturing world.
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