Dealing with problems of Anger

Dealing with the problems of Anger

Satan is a thief. The Bible has revealed to us in John 10:10 that “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” As Christians, we must therefore be mindful of the many devices Satan and its agents uses to drag us out of the canopy of God’s grace. Anger is one of them.

Being tempted does not amount to committing sin. What will qualify for sin is yielding to the temptation. For instance, Satan tempted Jesus Christ but He refused to yield to the abominable wishes of the tempter. The same thing applies to anger. It is quite instructive to note that anger is not a sin. However, we commit sin when the spirit of anger influences our thoughts and actions negatively. We need great amount of divine wisdom to conquer the spirit of anger. According to James, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:2-5). Also note the record of Ephesians 4:26, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun goes down upon your wrath.” The truth is that, it would be extremely difficult for human beings to take good decisions while angry. It would therefore be safe to suggest that no form of decision should be taken if one is angry.

As bad as anger is, it also presents us with opportunities to assess our actions. Anger is a natural way of reminding us that we have erred. It acts as a bump on the highway that leads to condemnation. For this reason, do not be quick to blame people when they get angry with you. First, find out the reason for the anger. Probe your conscience to see if there is a genuine reason for the anger. Should there be any, make sincere attempt to apologise for the omission or commission. Owing to either pride or arrogance, we tend to claim right even when we are wrong. Christians are supposed to be humble, meek, and gentle. People with these human qualities will always say “sorry” when they are wrong. There are several instances in the Bible where God, Jesus, prophets, and the Apostles were angry with the people of Israel. Punishment followed only after they refused to humble themselves and accept guilt. More than that, God does not listen to the prayers of arrogant people. That was why God said in 2 Chronicle 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Let us not forget the fact that it is not natural for God or man to smile when people behave abnormally. However, the Bible warns that, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil.” (Psalm 37:8). Rather than rebel, we should see other people’s anger as reminders that we have erred.

In most cases when we are angry, we tend to speak harsh words or wish to repay evil for evil. This is not the life style of a Christian. According to Romans 12:21, “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19 says, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” It is also recorded in Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.”

Love conquers everything. For one to defeat the spirit of anger, we must soak our thoughts and actions in love. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” God first demonstrated the important place of love by sacrificing His only Son for our sins. 

Furthermore, let us try to live in peace with our relations, neighbors, friends, and colleagues despite the temptations that may come our way. “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:18). We should draw closer to God and seek peace with everybody around us. With this, the spirit of anger will not find a place in our heart. No wonder, the Bible says in James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” When once the spirit of God is in control, we would manifest His nature and be incapable of doing evil.

Let us remember that anger does not do God any good. Those in leadership position must take note of this and avoid wearing anger on their faces and tie their tongues whenever they are angry. According to James 1:20, “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Wise people are always mindful of their tongue. “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18). Note what the Bible says about the tongue. “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6).

Finally, let us also consider what Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-24, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. James 1:19 completes it by saying, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to