07/13/2019
Anger, in and of itself it isn’t necessarily a sin, but unbridled it can lead us to the wide gate of sin, as certainly as the road to righteousness is hard, and the bridge to life is narrow. The way from anger to murder, or hating your brother is an easy walk... so we must always ask ourselves “do you do well to be angry?” Then, If our anger is justified... ask “Do I have it under control?”
“But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" And he said, "Yes, I do well to be angry, angry enough to die."”
Jonah 4:9 ESV
Anger is a lot like strong drink, or wine; if we drink it moderately it is soothing and perhaps even enjoyable, but if we drink to drunkenness, it harms our bodies, destroys our good reason, and leads us away from the kingdom of God to sinfulness.
“envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Galatians 5:21 ESV
So drinking is not a sin but drunkenness is, and anger is not a sin but the violence it leads to can be. They are similar in another way as well... there are certain people who can’t do these things in moderation, or are unable to control themselves in the presence of them. There is the town drunk who couldn’t take a drink of alcohol without becoming drunk, and there are those who can’t experience anger without becoming overly violent... or abusive. We see the falling down drunks, as well as the social drunks who dishonor, and ruin themselves, and, we see those angry people who fight, and abuse their wives, children, and families just like we see the man whose anger led to assault, or murder. To those who can’t control these things, and to whom there is no moderation, or constructive reason, there should be total abstinence, because their very soul is in jeopardy, and this gate is wide.
“"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Matthew 7:13-14 ESV
I knew a boy in grade school who we all gave a wide berth to, because when he became angry it knew no bounds, and he would exhibit such rage that it would consume him. You couldn’t have a disagreement, or argument with him that didn’t end in fisticuffs... and practice had made him very good at fighting. Fighting had become the only way he knew to resolve conflict. His anger might have occasionally been justified, but in most cases it wasn’t, and led him to sinful behavior. Anger, like alcohol, are dangerous to our souls, and must be handled carefully lest they consume us. They are both like dynamite... it has good uses, but when mishandled will destroy you.
Usually when someone uses anger as a defense for their behavior... it has already become a problem in their life, and they have not done well to have been angry. Anger as a defense is not the same as anger with a reason. Being angry at yourself for having sinned, or with someone who is sinning against others can be constructive, but allowing anger to boil over and harm innocence, or destroy your life, is not.
So asking ourselves, just as God asked Jonah, “Do you do well to be angry?” is of paramount importance to each of us! Not letting anger control us, but using it as a constructive force should be our ultimate goal. If we ask ourselves this question and the honest answer is “No, I do not do well.” Then we need to extract ourselves from the situation... take a walk, leave the room, take a deep breath, go to a quiet place, pray, or find a mediator who can help us solve a problem by distancing us from what makes us angry. We have three wonderful mediators who can step into our lives... God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and they are easily reached in the quiet of our prayer closet, through prayer.
“Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.”
Psalms 4:4-5 ESV
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the passion of anger against sin, but I thank you most for helping me control this emotion through properly exercising it according to your Word, and prayer. Hear me Holy Father as I cry out to you, and ask you to help me determine if I do well to be angry. Help me to bridle my anger, and direct it in constructive service to your will, and not as an impediment to my righteousness. Take it from me Father when I am inclined to use it in excess. Let me not become drunk in its power, or overwhelmed by its very nature... the uncontrollable explosion of its passion. You can become angry Father, and yet channel that anger in righteous and holy ways.. teach me to be like you, just as Jesus was in the temple... angry without excess, constructive in the face of destructive sin. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who controls the passion of His anger, and teaches us to maintain our own. Great are you who leads us away from our anger when we can’t control it, and praised be your name for returning peace and calm to our lives, and our families, when we we are inclined to strike out in sinfulness. Forgive us Holy Father for those times when anger has led us to sin, and by your grace bring our emotions back into check through your Word, our prayerfulness, and with a steady hand that leads us to ask forgiveness of others. If our anger is justified as being your anger, then guide us as we exercise it, and once complete, make us humble in the midst of its fire... returning us to our rightful worship of your goodness, peace and tranquility.
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
James 1:19-20 ESV
Rich Forbes