No, I didn’t lose it with somebody, but I heard a story today that got me thinking...
But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control. (Galatians 5: 22-23)
Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless…not quick-tempered… (Titus 1:7)
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19)
Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 29:20)
Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool. (Ecc. 7:9)
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. (Matthew 5:22a)
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry (Ephesians 4:26)
Some of you reading this are fairly even-tempered people. You don’t have a problem with controlling your temper. But for some of us, all types of situations can trigger a rise in blood pressure which results from an undercurrent of anger.
Your trigger might be handling long line-ups. Dealing with bureaucracies. Interacting with service-industry staff. Frustration over your own incompetence in a particular situation.
What gets you riled? Can you avoid those situations? Do other people or family members see you at your worst?
Today’s thoughts continue with an article by Lisa Harper at Christian Bible Studies on a similar topic, righteous anger:
What is “Righteous Anger”?
How can I know whether I’m feeling that or just being a hothead?
I grew up believing anger was a “bad” emotion. So I’ve needed several years of Christian counseling even to admit I get angry, much less to learn I can express those feelings righteously! Thankfully, God’s Word sets clear parameters for getting peeved.
What does God say about this? The bad news for hotheads is that Scripture contains many more verses warning believers against blowing their cool than verses advocating such behavior. The writer of Proverbs connects anger with foolishness: “Fools quickly show that they are upset, but the wise ignore insults” (Proverbs 12:16, NCV). And the apostle Paul recommends letting our heavenly Father fight our battles: “My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: ‘I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,’ says the Lord” (Romans 12:19, NCV).
Sometimes, however, God allows his people to fuss and remain faithful. Such is the case when King David furrows his brow and huffs:
God, I wish you would kill the wicked!
Get away from me, you murderers!
They say evil things about you.
Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
Lord, I hate those who hate you;
I hate those who rise up against you.
I feel only hate for them;
they are my enemies (Psalm 139:19–22, NCV).Or when Nehemiah gets upset after learning about the wealthy Israelites’ exploitation of the poor: “Then I was very angry when I had heard … these words” (Nehemiah 5:6, NASB).
What’s noteworthy in these situations is that David called down curses on sworn enemies of God, and Nehemiah directed his irritation at the “haves” repressing the “have-nots.” Both men were angry because of ungodly people or activities.
And Jesus expressed anger—at the Pharisees who exhibited such hard hearts (Mark 3:1-5) and at the crass commercialism that sullied the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-48)—to convey extreme displeasure over sin. Those reasons are the key to righteous anger.
How does this affect me? As Christ-followers, we’re totally appropriate getting upset over sin, too. Evils such as abuse, racism, pornography, and child sex trafficking should incense us.
But no matter how reprehensible the people or activities we’re condemning, we still aren’t justified to sin in our responses…
…continue reading the entire article at this link…
Going deeper:
- See especially the links at the bottom of this article at GotQuestions.org
- An excellent article by Paul Tautges on 3 Characteristics of Righteous Anger
Christianity 201 
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