Hormonal Anger
I snapped at my husband tonight. And of course, over something stupid. I’ve apologized and he of course forgave me but I am still beating myself up. It makes me think, why have I been cranky and mean the last couple of days? Probably because I am getting close to my “time of the month.” My hormones are still out of balance from having my son and that’s causing me to act in ways that make me feel horrible.
These kind of emotions can be the most challenging to control. For me, it seems like all logic gets pushed aside and I say whatever my anger wants to say in the moment. Have you ever been there? I’m going to be honest, while anger is a natural emotion, it is not okay to not control it. As you probably know, that’s easier said than done. But let’s see what the Bible has to say about it.
Learn from Experience
Start out by looking at Moses in Numbers 20. Moses was supposed to speak to a rock to get it to spout water. However, frustrated by the people of God, he struck it instead. In response, God told him that he would not be allowed into the Promised Land. Moses let his emotions control his actions and he had consequences.
I don’t think my anger will keep me out of heaven, but even if it doesn’t, feeling terrible about it now is also something I don’t wish to repeat. So how can I do this when my anger is controlled by something that controls me, my hormones? I may not be able to prevent my hormones from sparking a little bit of anger. However, I do get to dictate how I respond to it. In James 1:19, we are told:
"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."
That is our number one solution right there. All I needed to do was to not say anything. Such an easy solution in theory and yet so difficult…
I knew I was in an emotional state and anger was on my lips. If I would have refrained from giving into it, I wouldn’t be sitting here feeling bad. I do know that when I practice restraint in my actions it actually helps train my thoughts. When I get out of practice, this is what we get. Can you relate?
Ultimately, it comes down to this. God tells us to take care of our bodies. I haven’t been doing a great job at that. This may be because I am tired and feeling sick. Instead of letting worldly stresses into my life, I should have been addressing those basic body and mental needs. And here is the biggest thing, I haven’t been doing great at getting into my Bible everyday.
I have sought repentance from my husband and from God, so I know I have been forgiven. The next step is to forgive myself and make better decisions about managing those moments of emotions in a better way.
Let’s Reflect
What have you been neglecting in your physical, mental, and spiritual health?
If you suffer from seemingly uncontrollable emotions, what could you do to help better manage them?
Try this simple tip: when you are about to say an angry thought, count to twenty. If you feel like it still needs to be said, try to say it in a different way than you originally planned.
