As Christians, we often struggle with anger just as much as anybody else. While we thankfully don’t always express our anger in the same ways as the world around us, I can certainly say for myself that anger is certainly still present in my heart. We often try to justify our anger believing it to be righteous—and maybe it is. However, what we do with our anger and how we arrive in that place is an important discussion for us to consider. Without a doubt, there are many justifiable reasons to arrive in a place of anger, but we must be careful to evaluate ourselves and determine whether our anger is of man or of God, and we need to consider what its consequences are for us. Anger is a strong emotion, and thankfully, God’s word has much to teach us about it.
James warns us in Chapter 1, verses 19–20 that we should, “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not provide the righteousness of God.” Being quick to anger is not of God and is not righteous, and it is therefore destructive. There are also many Proverbs that speak to the destructive nature of anger. One key concept they teach is that anger robs us of joy and many of the other wholesome fruits of the Spirit that are what we are called to produce. That is why we are told to arrive at a place of anger slowly, if at all.
Paul also speaks of anger and provides a slightly different perspective. He says that even if anger does come justifiably, we should not sit in it for long. In Ephesians 4:26-27, he says, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” Paul makes it clear that we should not let the day go by as we remain angry. He also teaches that when we sit in anger for a prolonged period of time, we are giving a foothold to the devil. So James and Paul both give us clear instruction that we should arrive at anger slowly, and if we do even get that far, we should not hang on to it for long.
We are not to let the sun go down while we continue to harbour unresolved anger—a grudge of some sort, not forgiving someone, or hatred toward someone or some situation. Otherwise, we invite the devil to take a foothold. He is pleased and able to work when we sit in anger for a prolonged period of time, and as a consequence, our other good, God glorifying emotions are eaten up. When we’ve allowed this anger to take hold, it can impair our view of God’s truth and our ability to see things clearly.
So, anger is a dangerous emotion that is often, but not always, sinful. We are to arrive at anger slowly and not for long. God is the only one who is able to perfectly walk the line of remaining sinless in anger, but we are sinners, and we must be considerably more careful. Anger has its proper place when it is arrived at and filtered with Godly wisdom.
Paul ends his exhortation in Ephesians 4:30-32 by saying, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” That is the point we want end on, allowing our joyful emotions to be the ones that overwhelm us each day. Let us remember that while our sins deserve the wrath and anger of God, remarkably, we have been forgiven by the death of the only sinless person to ever live!
– Mark
