Kaya’t mag ingat kayo! “Kung magkasala sa iyo ang kapatid mo, pagsabihan mo; at kung siya’y magsisi, patawarin mo. Kung pitong ulit siyang magkasala sa iyo sa maghapon, at pitong ulit ding lumapit sa iyo at sabihin niyang, ‘Nagsisisi ako,’ kailangang patawarin mo siya.”

Lucas 17:3–4

Sabi nila, the worst kind of pain is not the pain inflicted by others but by those who are closest to you. Mas masakit nga naman ang betrayal caused by a family member. But how must we respond sa isang family conflict? How do we deal with anger kung ang involved ay ang family member natin?

According to an article by the American Psychological Association, “Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems — problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life.”

The same is said in the Bible in Ephesians 4:26, “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Hindi masama ang magalit but sinful anger leads us to unrighteousness. If we allow anger to grow, it will push us to do destructive things sa pamilya natin. Either we seek revenge or wish misfortune upon them.

How can we be angry and not sin? We can look up to God as an example. In 2 Peter 3:9, we read that God is slow to anger and patient to everyone. Binibigyan pa Niya ng chance ang lahat to repent and leave a life of sin because God is love (1 John 4:8). If we choose love over hate, we can slowly find a way to forgive someone who hurt us. Hindi madali pero puwede nating piliin ang forgiveness instead of sama ng loob. Hindi rin tayo pinigilan ni Lord na pagsabihan ang nakasakit sa atin. In Luke 17:3–4, He said na we can rebuke our brothers who have wronged us but to choose forgiveness regardless kung ilang beses nila tayong masaktan.

Piliin din natin to love and respect rather than provoke our family to anger. Nurturing our relationships brings glory to God.