Lesson 186 • Spark. Underneath. Cool down. As Jesus would.
Slow to Anger Lab
See how the Lord responds, follow Esau through three steps, practise them on a made-up situation, and shape a private journal page.
It is normal to experience feelings of anger. With the Saviour’s help we can decide how we respond.
Search the scriptures
How does the Lord respond?
Read Psalm 103:8, Proverbs 16:32, Luke 9:51–56 and Luke 23:8–11. Then choose what each passage says.
Psalm 103:8. What is the Lord like?
Proverbs 16:32. Who is “better than the mighty”?
Luke 9:51–56. A Samaritan village would not receive Jesus, and James and John asked to call down fire. What did He do?
Luke 23:8–11. Herod questioned Jesus “in many words”, and his soldiers mocked Him. What did Jesus do?
Choose what each passage says. You can change any answer.
Follow the three steps
What happened with Esau?
Jacob received the birthright blessing that his older brother Esau had expected. Read Genesis 27:41–45. The lesson uses Esau to show three steps for managing anger.
Step 1. Recognise what sparked the angry feelings. In Genesis 27:41, what sparked Esau’s?
Step 2. Identify underlying emotions. The lesson lists emotions that can lie underneath anger. Which might someone in Esau’s situation have felt? Choose at least two. There is no single right answer.
Step 3. Cool down. What gave Esau time to cool down?
First complete activity 1, then follow Esau through the three steps.
Practise the steps
What could someone do?
These three situations are made up. They are not questions about you. Choose one, then work through the three steps for the person in it.
Choose a situation:
Someone finds out that friends made a plan in a group chat and left them out. They feel a rush of anger and start typing a reply.
Step 1. What sparked the angry feelings?
Step 2. Which question looks underneath the anger?
Step 3. Which is a way to cool down before responding?
Someone works hard for a test, gets a low mark, and a classmate laughs. They feel their face go hot.
Step 1. What sparked the angry feelings?
Step 2. Which question looks underneath the anger?
Step 3. Which is a way to cool down before responding?
Someone’s things are borrowed again without asking, and one comes back broken. They want to shout.
Step 1. What sparked the angry feelings?
Step 2. Which question looks underneath the anger?
Step 3. Which is a way to cool down before responding?
First complete activity 2, then choose a situation.
Take it to the journal
One way I could practise
The lesson asks you to ponder one way you could practise cooling down, so that you can respond to angry feelings as Jesus would. Choose one action from the lesson’s list and one way the Saviour helps. You do not need to say why you chose them.
An action that cools anger:
How the Saviour helps:
Complete activities 1 to 3, then choose one option from each row.
