"And 'don't sin by letting anger control you.' Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry” -Ephesians 4:26
What
makes you mad? Often we don't talk about getting angry in Christian
circles because it's an uncomfortable topic. But, if we're true
followers of Christ, isn't it true that certain things should make us angry?
I'm not talking about the kind of anger where we didn't get our
way. I'm talking about things that really get you - injustices like
child trafficking, a lack of ethical business practices, corruption,
abuse in relationships, bullying, an inaccurate view of God - these are
the types of issues that need solving in our society. I think when we
recognize what angers us, it is a big key to our destiny and calling.
Jesus got angry. Jesus actually got angry at several things. This
most notable example is when He entered the table and ran out all the
money changers. He said, “The scriptures declare, ‘My temple will be
called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of
thieves!” (Matthew 21:18&19) The money changers didn’t care about
people’s spiritual growth. Jesus was angered by their greed.
But Jesus was probably the most angry with the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. He said to them, “What
sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees.
Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s
faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter
either.” Matthew 23:13 We never see Jesus angry with sinners. But
He was angry with the Pharisees. He was angry with them for
misrepresenting God, for seeking out man’s approval more than God’s, for
failing to recognize the kingdom of God among them, and for their overall
corruption and failing to look after the poor and the widows.
What in today's world makes you righteously angry? It could be a
clue to connect you to a problem that you are called to solve.
"'Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath..." -Ephesians 4:6
Things happen in life that are bound to provoke us to anger. There are parts of life that are not fair, and there are people who may drive us crazy. Consequently, at some point of time we will be dealing with anger. Anger is not wrong - anger is a part of life. Jesus was angry. He was angry that the Pharisees began selling in the temple. His anger was righteous anger (some may call it jealousy) that the priests turned a house of worship into a house of greed. (John 2:13-17)
When we are angry a lot, or when we become angry in the same type of situation, we'll know there's something more to our anger, something that we may need to resolve. We'll need to check under the hood, as our emotional engine is overheating.
We may be angry due to an injustice or due to bitterness and unresolved hurt. Whatever it is, we need to be cautious that we deal with what is causing the anger, and not let it go unresolved. Some of anger's effects are fatigue, rage, and depression. We can easily hurt or isolate ourselves from others if we let our anger get out of control. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." -Proverbs 15:1 Anger is always a secondary emotion. Rarely do people who become angry get to the source of true thing that needs to be dealt with. But, effectively resolving these emotions result in more freedom and peace in our daily lives. God tells us to resolve our anger - because He knows we will experience more freedom as a result.
I know someone who used to have lots of anger. She became angry when she felt like too many expectations were being placed upon her. She grew up in a home with a performance-based mindset, that is, love and acceptance was based on her ability to achieve or believe certain things. As a result, she felt that she would only be loved and accepted for what she did. As a teenager she was really depressed and angry at herself but didn't know why. Later in life she realized she had to forgive her parents for placing so many expectations upon her and and give herself the grace to try and perhaps fail without feeling like it was the end of the world. She also had to learn to set realistic expectations to set herself up for success.
Do you struggle with anger? Pray that God would help you discover the source of that anger, so that you can experience more of His joy, freedom, and peace.
