Anger

Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Do you have a short fuse? If you do, I’d imagine that your quick temper has gotten you into trouble more than once. In the Bible, we read of many times that God has gotten angry—so how can we tell if it is appropriate for us to be mad? There are two key points to consider: first, God only gets angry in response to sinful behavior, and second, God never loses Himself to His anger, never acts impulsively.

When you get mad, is it because someone did something that is evil? If so, it’s okay to get angry. But how many times have you gotten riled up, not because someone was disobeying God’s rules, but because they weren’t doing what you wanted them to do? Has God dictated what color the carpeting or drapes should be? Has the Lord set a minimum grade that all students must achieve? Many times we get angry at others, not because they have done wrong, but because they have not met the expectations we have set for them or agreed with our opinion. But who gives you the right to make demands of another person that God does not make? Do you have the right to get mad over something that does not anger God?

It is also important to consider what your anger can lead to. It is unwise to make rash decisions, and an angry frame of mind is not inclined to carefully examine every side of an issue. The Bible shows us that God is not quick to act on His anger; He warns His people that they are doing wrong, and He gives them time to repent and change their ways. It is only when people are obstinate in their sins that God shows them His wrath. When you get angry, stop yourself from reacting hastily and try to answer these two questions: 1) if Jesus was experiencing what you are, would He be angry? 2) Have any of God’s laws been broken? If the answers to these questions are no, it is time to pray to Jesus to help you let go of your anger before it leads you to sin. But even if your anger has been justly provoked by another person’s sin, you still don’t have license to seek retribution—God says: I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it (Deuteronomy 32:35). Only God has the wisdom to judge and the right to punish another; when a person has sinned against God, leave it to God to set things right. Our best course of action is to pray for the person who has hurt us, that they might stop what they are doing and turn to the Lord for mercy.