The Way of Humility in Fighting Anger (Welch)

Ed Welch

As I’ve mentioned before, Ed Welch’s little devotional called A Small Book about a Big Problem is a helpful resource for combating anger in the Christian life. This morning I was helped by Welch’s explanation of humility and what it has to do with fighting anger:

To learn the way of humility, start by remembering these simple realities:

1. We are not God. Instead, we belong to God. We are merely human and cannot walk or breathe apart from God’s power and care (Job 38).

2. We are instinctive haters. We dishonor God and wrong other people. As we grow in wisdom, we discover that our sins are worse than we realize, and God’s mercy is greater than we can imagine.

3. When we identify ourselves with Jesus, we receive everything that is his. Whatever is his is also ours – and we are humbled when we receive such extravagant gifts.

No matter what we face, these are the anchor realities of our lives. We are under God rather than over others: we say ‘thank you’ rather than ‘mine’; we are the servants, not the master.

When rejection comes our way, and it will come, the humble are certainly hurt, but they stay the course: ‘How do I walk humbly before God and respond with love and wisdom?’ Know this: humility is not natural to us. You might feel worthless at times, but pride runs even deeper. It is beautiful and powerful when we are able to see this, but it is not natural. Can you imagine that humility would be attractive?

Ed Welch, A Small Book about A Big Problem, p.58-59.

Shane Lems
Covenant Presbyterian Church (OPC)
Hammond, WI, 54015