by Pastor Neal Grogan, OEF Marine Combat Veteran
Epilogue by Mike Ruff, Colonel, USAF, Retired & ACBC
To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
– Ephesians 4:22–24 ESV
When I was nine years old, I was being bullied at school. They hurt me, disrespected me, and treated me like an outsider. One day during recess one when of these kids started to throw rocks at me, I snapped. I punched the bully and stopped him in that moment.
Recognizing that anger had provided my desired result, I submitted to a pattern of life in dealing with my issues from then on. If I felt hurt, disrespected, or attacked, I would respond in anger and stop the thing I didn’t like. I would have control at all costs. This cheap and reliable fuel source served me as a child to get what I desired ( control and approval) and it would further serve me in the United States Marine Corps. Tapping into my desire for control and approval, I used anger to deal with whatever issues I had. In Afghanistan, I exacted rage on my enemies. With my Marines, I would use anger to get them to do what I desired. Anger is a cheap and reliable fuel source, but it destroys the engine it powers.