Anger can be an all-consuming emotion that keeps us from experiencing the joy of life. When anger goes unresolved it can produce bitterness and resentment. These emotions are toxic and quickly take us down a self-destructing path. In a Psychology Today article from January of 2015 they list some of the damaging effects of anger and bitterness including:

• Leads to long-lasting anxiety and/or depression
• Create or deepen an attitude of distrust and cynicism—qualities that contribute to hostility and paranoid thinking, as well as an overall sense of pessimism. Such a bleak perspective prompts others to turn away from you
• Interfere with your cultivating healthy, satisfying relationships, and lead you to doubt, or disparage, your connection to others
• Compromise or weaken your higher ideals, and adversely impact your personal search for purpose and meaning in life
• Undermine your physical health. The chronic anger that is bitterness can raise your stress baseline, thereby taxing your immune system

In this episode, we sit down with pastor, author and licensed counselor, Dr. David Cooper to dig into this topic and find practical and Biblical ways of pivoting from this toxic and all-consuming emotion. We learn how we can lean into our faith and trust in the promised Holy Spirit to be our helper and guide. Furthermore how we can develop deep intimacy with Jesus that will, in turn, produce the fruits of the Spirit in our life.

About our Guest
Dr. David Cooper’s life mission is to give people hope in Christ. He serves as Lead Pastor, along with his wife Barbie, of the 11,000-member Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, Georgia.

He is the author of several books including Unfinished Business and his newest book I'm Spiritual not Religious. He is a featured speaker for businesses, schools, conferences, and churches where he motivates people to reach their full potential and to discover God's purpose for their lives.

He is a solo guitarist who performs solo guitar instrumentals featured on his album Flying Solo, a singer-songwriter and also lead guitarist with the band Open Door for churches, conferences, community events, and prisons. His music is available on iTunes.    

His messages are streamed live Sundays at www.mountparan.com. You can subscribe to his weekly devotion "DiscoverLife with David Cooper" via email. You may contact David Cooper via email at [email protected] or Facebook.