anger

Today's topic is anger. This topic really hits home and my heart just grieves for how anger can tear families apart. I want to jump in and list just two verses (of the many! hmm - I suppose God knew we humans would struggle with this!) about anger.


"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."
Eph 4:30-31

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."
James 1:19-20


A few things to be noted from these verses (& other verses that I have not listed out in totality in this post):

1. Anger’s primary occupants are fools. In the Bible fools are not just silly or childish people, fools are those who rebel against God and usurp his authority. Anger is natural for someone who hates and opposes God.

2. An angry person carries the weight and burden of a sinful lifestyle and it causes danger and destruction for those around him.

3. An angry lifestyle is cooperative with the fruit of the flesh and indicates that the person who lives angrily has never known God and will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

4. Anger, wrath, and bitterness are how we used to live and act before we knew the grace of Christ. These things are not fit for a child of God and they grieve His Spirit. They must be shed off immediately.

5. Human anger will never produce what is right in the eyes of God. The only person who can be angry and it be the right thing is God. When God is angry and acts in anger it is holy, perfect and appropriate but even God is “. . .merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8, 145:8).



I hope this has challenged you to put off your anger. Not an easy, automatic thing, but one that daily needs to be decided, again and again.


Thank you to my pastor-friend, Jason, for the material for this post... If anyone is interested in more info about this, I can email you his 5-pg. study on anger.