ARE YOU PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE?

“I don’t get angry and I certainly don’t yell,” some may say. “I keep my opinions to myself. That’s the safest way.” Some people rarely voice their opinion because they are afraid of their own anger. Last week’s topic was release from FEAR. This week is freedom from ANGER. When you say nothing, sometime pout, but never voice your opinion, you may do something else. You may not fight or argue, but never comply either. “Honey, the kids and I are going to the mall on Saturday. Do you want to go along?” The wife may say. “We’re going to leave at noon.” “Sure,” husband may answer. Saturday morning comes with the usual cartoons for the children or Fit-it shows for the parents. The family is nearly ready by eleven-thirty. At fifteen minutes before noon, Dad goes outside and starts mowing the yard. At quarter after twelve he is still mowing and the same is true at twelve-thirty. Mom shouts over the drone of the mower, upset and impatient, “Are you going or not?” Dad says, “Well, do you want the yard mowed or not?” Got-ya. Hubby is passive-aggressive, but don’t get too smug. Women can be passive-aggressive too. They don’t argue. They don’t say “No” . . . the just don’t . . . anything. Passive-Aggression is a form of anger and control. We’ll focus on CONTROL next week. That part of passive-aggressiveness that is anger is what we will address today. And, this is a hard one. Those who are P-A take great pride in being the calm one in the family, the one who never argues, the one who never yells. If your family has to wait for you all of the time, if chores you have said you will do never get done, if you go silent rather than engage in a discussion, Man-Up, or woMan-Up. You are passive-aggressive and it is a form of anger because you provoke anger in others. If you will admit to yourself that you are silently angry, God help free you from your anger through Prayer Therapy. Remember, (1) pray the prayer printed below three times a day. (2) Wait at the end of the prayer for a sense of God’s presence. (3) Go about the remainder of the day knowing that God has heard your prayer. Let us pray: “God of Love and Life, holy and precious is your name. I ask that you fill me with your holy presence that the Kingdom of God may come and include even me. Today is the day, Father, when I lay my anger at your feet. Cast that anger as far from me as the East is from the West and never let it return. Forgive me for not trusting you before with my anger and may I forgive others of their anger as you have forgiven me. Lead me away from things that provoke me and place me within your open arms. In the name of your son, Jesus, the Prince of the Peace I seek, I pray. Amen” Doris Copyright 2012 Doris Gaines Rapp “God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.” Please, tweet this link to friends and family.