Sometimes the way things are worded - even if it is the same basic idea - helps me understand things.
I've been dealing with some anger stuff the past few days. For some reason, things that wouldn't ordinarily bother me have added up until I find myself complaining and grousing, and ...well ... just plain angry. I let the stress get to me.
I am slowly learning to deal with these feelings. I turn on my "uplifting" music playlist. I start to think of things I can be grateful for. I force myself to engage in positive self-talk.
One verse that has helped me in my quest change my reactions to situations is to saturate myself with Scripture. I know God can do what I cannot. I've been reading
Psalm 37:8 in the New American Standard Version of the Bible.
"Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evil doing."
I know there are times anger is appropriate. I know it is an emotion God has given to us. Yet, I also know how destructive it can be.
I recently put a free app on my iphone. It's much easier for me to read the Bible if it's on my phone, by my side. It's a pretty cool app that lets you highlight and take notes if you want to. The drawback? It had a version of Scripture I was not familiar with. I've been reading from it the past few days.
In the ASV, this verse reads, "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil-doing."
Fret not thyself. (Stress not thyself?)
Now, I am not at all sure why there is such a huge difference for me between, "Do not fret" and "Fret not thyself."
I remember something I learned in a psych class. I can't substantiate it, but it had to do with the particular words "Do not." According to what I was taught the brain tends not to hear the "not" in do not. It hears "do."
Think about telling a kid not to do something .... what is their response? It is as if they just have to do it. So, I'm not sure of the scientific rational behind this - but I can apply it to this verse. "Do not fret." Ok, what does my brain seem to hear? "Do fret." Go ahead - worry, get angry, get upset, get stressed.
But "Fret not thyself" seems to say something different even thought the word "not" is in the phrase. It is giving me the responsibility for what I am doing to myself.
Yesterday, I found myself saying, "Oh, no .... I'm no gonna go down this road. I'm not gonna do this to myself (and to everyone around me.)" I went to my music, my journal, and started talking to myself. (Yeah, I do that a lot.)
I won't say it changed how I felt in a minute - or even ten. But soon enough I had realized how useless it was getting angry and worried over things I couldn't control.
I am realizing how many problems I bring upon myself. I get stuck in negative emotions. I want to feel I can't do anything about it. I want to feel justified in my anger and worry - and the stress I cause myself.
I know a lot of you won't have this problem, but for those of you who do, I leave you with these words.
"Fret not thyself...."