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Anger is an essential emotion when handled in the right way, and therefore in itself, it is not a sin. However, when we cannot effectively deal with Anger, it can cause a lot of harm to the people around us.
When we are angry because of injustice or unfairness around us, we can look at the situation and develop a change to make things better for us. However, when we are quick to anger and fail to handle things slowly and effectively, we might make the situation even worse.
The Anger we usually have over the injustices and violence that happens to us or around us as believers is righteous because it helps us confront such issues. Therefore, we are allowed to get angry, but we should be careful because our actions can make us sin if we lose control of our emotions when we are mad.
Even God himself gets angry over the evils that happen amongst his people, but the Bible clearly states that He is slow to Anger but abounding in love (Numbers 14:18). Also, Jesus got angry several times; for instance, due to the Pharisees’ hypocrisy, He called them a brood of vipers (Matthew 12:34). That shows that it is right to be angry, but we should restrain ourselves as believers from making decisions at such times because, most likely, we may make bad decisions.
The Bible tells us that it’s okay to be angry, but we should refrain from sinning, and the sun should not go down when we are still angry (Ephesians 4:26). Thus when we get mad, we should admit it, but be careful to make sure it does not last for long since the longer we are angry, the higher the chance of engaging ourselves in evil acts.
I know of one guy who was quick to Anger, and things always went wrong when he was angry because he could not manage his Anger. The guy was a middle-aged man and was living in my neighborhood. Anytime he got angry, he was the type of person who always yelled or screamed at his offenders. He would even explode with Anger and start hitting things or people around him. He believed that the only way to handle issues was through violence.
He had kids who were in their teenage years. One day his 16-year old daughter disappeared from home and did not come back until after three days. When she returned, the man asked her where she had been and why she never told anyone where she was. The girl just told him the truth that she had gone to her boyfriend, and that’s where she spent her three days.
As a responsible parent, anyone could get angry over such behavior from a teenager. However, this man boiled with Anger, and his sound judgment was no more. He started screaming and yelling at the girl, but the girl did not look bothered. That only made the matter worse, and the man physically beat up the young teenage girl. He used too much force to fight her, and she was crying for help, but no one else was at home to rescue her. I heard about the commotion and decided to check what the matter was. I tried to stop the man, but he replied by telling me to keep off.
Unfortunately, the young girl fainted, and on taking her to the hospital, she was no more. The man was immediately back to his senses, and he cried so hard for the loss. On top of that, he was jailed for the murder of his child. These are losses that could not have happened if the man had self-control over his Anger and rage.
If not controlled, Anger may make us do things that we never intended to do and end up living with regrets. I also get angry so many times, and yet I am a saved and committed Christian. The good thing is that I never allow myself to be controlled by Anger, and anytime I realize that I am angry with someone, I would rather walk away and come back when my emotions are under control.
The best way to deal with anger and rage and prevent sinful actions is by forgiving our offenders. As believers, we must bear with one another and ignore just like Christ forgave us (Colossians 3:13). Extending our forgiveness to the person that has caused us pain and frustration is an excellent way of escaping the sins that we might commit due to Anger. We should not depend on how we feel about the person to forgive them, but we should be driven by our will and, more so, God’s instructions according to Colossians 3:13. Forgiveness will help us get rid of any bad feelings for revenge. Going to God with prayers that He may give you the strength to deal with your anger emotions is good because sometimes we forgive, but the thoughts of our offenders keep bringing back the pain and bitterness in our hearts.
The Bible also teaches us as the family of faith that we should restrain ourselves from Anger by having complete control of how we express it as wise people (Proverbs 29:11). That means that we can keep our anger emotions within limits. However, if we get angry, we should not suppress the Anger inside; instead, we must eliminate it as soon as possible (Colossians 3:8). We can release our Anger safely, maybe by speaking to another person other than the one who offends us, and that way, we will get rid of it without causing any harm to anyone.
Sometimes when we think about the things that make us angry and re-evaluate them, we find that they are not that deep to control our emotions.
Maybe the words that someone said to us were out of their insecurities, and it is not a true reflection of what we are. Taking a moment and thinking about the offense that has been done against us will help us ignore minor issues and confront more significant problems with wisdom when the anger emotions are under control.
Getting our Anger under control is not easy, but it is possible as long as we handle it in God’s way.
Originally posted 2021-07-06 17:28:00.
