“Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Ephesians 4:26 NLT
“Anger, when counter balanced by virtues of God’s character, can remain righteous in its expression.”
My thoughts today are about “danger, handle with care.”
Anger is one of those emotions that should have a sign on it, “Danger. Handle with care!” Anger is best in the smallest of doses, and managed with the greatest of care and caution. It is an emotion that is not necessarily sinful, but even God places some wise restrictions on it. “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,” and then Scripture tells you why, “for anger gives a mighty foothold to the devil.” Ephesians 4:26-27. Anger unchecked ruins friendships, families, and lives.
It is not the emotion itself that is wrong, but the origin of anger at that moment and your manner of expressing it. Anger can be a doorway through which the worst of your flesh proudly storms through. Anger is unrighteous that is inconsistent with God’s nature and ways, does not serve God’s purpose for your life or others’, and yields control of your passion, words, and actions to something other than the Holy Spirit within you. All violence begins as anger.
God is described in the Bible as being angry. He was angry when Israel turned from God to idols. But know this about God: “His anger is but for a moment; His favor is for life.” Psalm 30:5. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 103:8. “. . full of compassion, slow to anger.” Psalm 145:8. “. . slow to anger, and of great kindness; and He relents from doing harm.” Joel 2:13.
When anger is counter balanced by such virtues of God’s character, it will remain righteous in its cause and expression. That’s anger you can trust. Righteous anger is the emotion that is in harmony with God’s emotion about something. There are many things that should make good people righteously angry. You should not be passive about wrongdoing when the powerful take advantage of the weak, when the rich abuse the poor, when the mean prey on the helpless. Those things make God righteously angry, and should arouse a passion for fairness and righteousness in you.
Sadly, most of the anger with which you contend is not about God or others, but is aroused when your will has been denied and your rights have been ignored. In that regard, this is God’s counsel: “My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.” James 1:19. That’s good and practical advice.
That works! I have found that when I take time to listen, really listen first, and I reserve my words longer than I would like, anger is more readily managed productively.
Solomon said, “It is better to be patient than powerful; it is better to have self-control than to conquer a city.” Proverbs 16:32. Nothing could be more true or practical than that. Remember the danger, and handle with care.
My prayer is that you will rule your spirit and handle your passions with care.