Angry People: Walking on Eggshells

Proverbs 29:22 – An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

Do you ever feel like you’re walking on eggshells?
 
You know the people I’m talking about. Angry people. You don’t really want to be around them but they’re related to you so you have to deal with it.
 
But why do we have to be the ones that
tread lightly
are overly considerate
seek out peace no matter what the cost?
 
But it’s just there. It’s a real shame. But its’ there.
 
Dealing with angry people is sticky. You don’t want to say the wrong thing and set them off. The angry person may think that it’s always our fault if we get into a fight with them. Even going so far as to say that they believe we’re at fault for everything wrong in their life.
 
So how do we deal with angry people and stop walking on eggshells?
 
Depressionalliance.org discusses signs that you may be in an emotionally unstable relationship and makes suggestions on how to deal with the angry person in their article, "Walking on Eggshells: Signs You Are and How to Stop." Here are some of the signs of an unstable relationship: use of humiliation and sarcasm, impulsivity, excessive self-monitoring, meaning you monitor and adapt your actions constantly.
 
The article makes suggestions on how to help the person on the receiving end of anger such as self-care. You might need to focus on yourself first and learn to set some boundaries which may include finding ways to detach in situations where you know it is not your fault. These are just some of the ways to help a person who has an angry person in their life to stop feeling like you always have to walk on eggshells.
 
Notice in the Bible verse above it says that it is the angry person who is the one stirring up conflict and the one who sins because they are hot-tempered. It doesn’t say that the one who is on the receiving end of the anger is at fault. It may be difficult when you feel you must walk on eggshells but try to pull back and not let yourself be sucked into thinking that the other person’s angry response is your fault, because it isn’t.

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