You don’t have to be angry–you choose to be angry.
When you embrace anger, you welcome deception. Anger may feel good because you feel justified in venting your frustration. But, anger is not an effective tool—you use it to hurt someone, to make them feel your pain. The deception is: Anger just makes the situation worse. The person you really end up hurting is yourself.
Ephesians 4:26-27, The Living Bible
“If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly; for when you are angry, you give a mighty foothold to the devil.”
Face 14 facts about anger and gain control over your temper.
- Anger prevents you from seeing the truth.
- Anger clouds your thinking.
- Anger separates you from the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” (Galatians 5:22-23) God will not help you operate outside of his character.
- Anger is contagious. You “catch” anger when you react to someone’s anger with anger. Instead, respond with compassion. Ask questions like “What can I do to help?” and don’t raise your voice. The Bible says, “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
- When you allow anger to take over, you reject God’s presence.
- Revenge will not solve the problem.
- Revenge creates bigger problems. Remember the story of Cain and Able. Cain was jealous of his brother Able because God liked Able’s offering (gift) and rejected Cain’s offering. Able gave God the best of what he had, while Cain just gave God something. This made Cain furious. God noticed and gave him some advice…
Genesis 4:6-7, The Living Bible
“Why are you angry?” the Lord asked him. “Why is your face so dark with rage? It can be bright with joy if you will do what you should! But if you refuse to obey, watch out. Sin is waiting to attack you, longing to destroy you. But you can conquer it!”
Cain did not take God’s counsel. Instead, he embraced his anger and killed his brother. As a result, God banished Cain from his land and marked him for his own protection. Everyone knew what Cain did and wanted to kill him. As Cain wandered from place to place, perhaps he thought, “Life would have been easier, if I had just been obedient with my offering.” Now, Cain’s name is synonymous with “murder”. Revenge created a bigger problem and left a negative legacy.
- Anger is often the result of disobedience. You get angry when you don’t get the result you want. But if you had obeyed, you would have experienced a better outcome. Rewards are built into obedience. Think of obedience as a map to the best outcome.
- You don’t have to be angry–you choose to be angry. Anger wastes your time. Eliminate “rehearsing the wrong” self-talk from your thought life. Instead, focus your mental energy on problem-solving. Impulsive actions based on anger lead to repercussions you can’t afford. Exercise self-control. “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)
- Anger is often directed towards people who obey God. Remember the account of King Saul and David. God had the Prophet Samuel anoint a little shepherd boy called David as the next king of Israel because King Saul disobeyed God’s instructions. After David killed Israel’s number one enemy (the giant Goliath), King Saul realized God had chosen David in his place, he hated him and tried to kill him on multiple occasions.
1 Samuel 16:13-15, King James Version
“Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.”
- Anger opens the door for evil spirits to operate in your life.
1 Samuel 18:9-12, The Living Bible
“So from that time on King Saul kept a jealous watch on David. The very next day, in fact, a tormenting spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave like a madman. David began to soothe him by playing the harp, as he did whenever this happened. But Saul, who was fiddling with his spear, suddenly hurled it at David, intending to pin him to the wall. But David jumped aside and escaped. This happened another time, too, for Saul was afraid of him and jealous because the Lord had left him and was now with David.”
- Anger is often the result of fear and/or jealousy. If you’re angry, ask yourself: “What am I afraid of? Who am I jealous of?”
- Conquer anger by getting rid of its roots:
- Root One: Disobedience – The Bible says if you obey the Lord, you will eat the good of the land. (Isaiah 1:18-20) God has a good plan for every person’s life. We choose God’s good plan by obeying His Word. If you love God, obey Him.
- Root Two: Fear – Confidence in God erases a fearful mindset. We have nothing to fear when we are walking in the will of God. Meditate on these truths from scripture: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of love, power and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18). “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
- Root Three: Jealousy – Be content with who you are and what you have. This doesn’t mean having dreams or goals are wrong. But hating someone else for what they possess (money, intellect, appearance, etc.) is. Jesus specifically warned against this. “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12:15)
- Some anger is just. When someone is hurt or taken advantage of, we should feel angry. But, we don’t have to sin by nursing the grudge. We are to forgive and let God handle punishment. The Lord is just and he will punish the wicked.
Psalm 37:7-9, King James Version (KJV)
“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.”
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