“Failure to make changes in spiritual need areas is planning to sin in that area again.”
In my early years, I struggled with my anger. I resented some things that had happened to me in life. When I didn’t like something that happened to me, I would either strike out at others or retreat. I didn’t know how to face my problems and work them out the right way. Then I got married, and found that my solutions to anger didn’t work. Running or striking out didn’t resolve anything.
My wife was a great help to me. She had grown up in a loving family who worked through problems rather than running from them. God also used a passage of Scripture to help me. “In your anger, do not sin.” “Do not let ANY unwholesome talk come out of your mouths.” (Ephesians 4:26, 29) I knew that I had to learn how to resolve my anger in the right way. This meant talking through the problems in the right way; it meant listening to the thoughts of others and seeing their side of the issue; and it meant forgiving any offense and choosing to love one another as God has so graciously loved me.
The first step is to humble ourselves before God and others so that we can have the right attitude. That obviously isn’t easy. The next thing is to find truth from God’s Word to guide us. Then, we must believe and trust God to help us obey HIM. God will give us grace.
“I can do everything through HIM who gives me strength’. (Philippians 4:13)