Anger

Anger by Pastor Gary

In the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery we read, “In the Bible, anger is attributed both to people and to God. Anger or wrath is an emotion, a response growing out of an interpretation of certain stimuli. It may produce a desire to respond, but agents (people or God) determine if, how, and when they will respond. The idiom of anger is the imagery of fire. Both humans and God are said to “burn with anger” (Gen 39:19; Ex 4:14). Anger might flare up like a flame (2 Sam 11:20), be stirred up like a fire (1 Kings 14:22) or smolder (Ps 80:4). Anger’s similarity to fire may be observed in its spontaneity, in the difficulty with which it is contained and in its destructive power.

“What would Jesus do?” When Jesus confronted people’s hardness of heart and failure to acknowledge his message, he sometimes responded in anger (Mt 21:12–13; Jn 2:14–16, Mk 3:5). Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 4:26-27 states, “Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (NKJV). God is perfect and does not sin (Mt 5:48). God, however, does experience anger. Paul said we were to be angry and sin not. The clear implication from the Scriptures is that anger is not a sin!

Society has given anger a bad reputation. Anger is seen as always being wrong. The angry person is seen as having a problem. Is there a positive side of anger? Certainly! One should be angry at injustice. Sin makes God angry; shouldn’t we also be angered by sinfulness? According to Hard Sayings In The Bible, “Passions are not in themselves evil. Kept under control, they are avenues of virtue.” In What Does The Bible Say? the assertion is made, “Anger is like fire. When handled appropriately, it can bring about great good. Conversely, when anger is out of control it can destroy people’s lives.”

What does good anger look like? Good anger is rooted in a sustained and thoughtful understanding of justice and mercy (Zech. 1:1–15). Good anger is not self-serving or vindictive and actually can serve the purpose of mercy (Is 10:1-2). Good anger develops slowly (Nah. 1:1–11; James 1:19). Good anger acts and then forgives (Ps. 103:9; 1 Cor 13:5). It is possible for an individual to be trapped in unforgiveness because there is no validation their anger.

Anger is to the emotions what pain is to the body. It is a warning sign that something is wrong. Anger is always secondary. When one feels anger, there is a reason. Unfortunately, we too often want to deal with the anger, and not the reason for the anger. We need not fear being angry, but rather, come to an understanding of why we are angry. For some personalities (usually the strong leaders among us), anger is a natural tool for venting frustration. The three simple rules for “blowing off steam” are these: one cannot hurt himself, one cannot hurt others, and one cannot damage property.

When one is angry he should ask himself, “Why am I angry?” Discovering the “why” can sometimes take time. There are good reasons to be angry! One, then, needs to ask himself, “What can I, or should I do? Anger can be a positive motivator for necessary change. Anger is powerful and requires action (Ps 18:7, Prov 27:4; Jer 10:10) The Bible warns against impulsive anger (Pr 22:24; 29:22; 1 Cor 13:5). There are instances where we are personally powerless to change an unjust situation. In such a case, the action one can take is to ask God to act (Ps 58). The consequences for ignoring anger are grave. Perhaps, the reason we face such social degradation is that we have not had an appropriate appreciation for righteous anger.

Thanks, Pastor.