Anger
Article by Dr. Brian Campbell
Copyright, 2010 All
Rights Reserved
From: Godly
Counsel: Scriptures for today's world...
"Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,
for anger resides in the lap of fools."
(Ecclesiastes 7:9)
Anger:
a strong feeling
of
displeasure, hostility,
or antagonism towards someone or something,
usually combined with an urge
to harm
God gets angry with human beings when they don't follow His
commandments and when they are sinful and rebellious.
Jesus Christ displayed "righteous anger," and this is the
only form of anger acceptable for man to express.
Other forms of anger are unacceptable, and are admonished
throughout the Scriptures.
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SYNOPSIS
God's Anger: The Lord our God is gracious,
loving, forgiving, and compassionate.1 He is
slow to anger and rich in love.2
However, when God is provoked sufficiently,His anger
can be fierce.3,4 For example, He destroyed
the city of Sodom and Gomorrah becauseof
their evil ways,5 and His anger
"burned" against the pharaoh when he would not let the
Jewish people leave Egypt.6
God is a jealous God, and He gets angry when His people
worship idols or other "gods,"and when they forsake Him.7-9
If we reject God's Word, as contained in the Bible, and
fail to follow His commandments, we should properly
fear God's anger and wrath.10 Fortunately, if
we obey God's commands, humble ourselves before Him,
and seek righteousness, we can shield ourselves from His
anger.11
Christ's Righteous Anger: Jesus Christ showed
anger when He drove the moneychangers out of the temple.12
He also got angry when people doubted that He could heal a
man's hand,13 and when the Pharisees were being
hypocritical.14 These were instances of
"righteous anger."
Man's Righteous Anger/Rebuke: Righteous anger
is the only kind of anger that God permits for human beings,
and even when we engage in this type of anger, we must be
careful that we do not "cross over the line" and sin.15
Whenever possible, we should rebuke our fellow man frankly,16
but gently,17 remembering our own
sinful nature and imperfections.18 We are
to correct, rebuke, and encourage "with great patience and
careful instruction."19
Refrain From Anger:
Unfortunately, man's anger is not always "righteous anger,"
and the Bible advises against most forms of anger.20
In general, God desires that we refrain from anger21
and keep ourselves under control.22
Quick-tempered people often do foolish things,23,24
and man's anger doesn't bring about the righteous
life that God desires.25
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God's Guidance
Watch What You Say:
God wants us to be careful about how we talk to others.26,27
Jesus reminds us that all men will have to give an account
on the day of judgment for every careless word they have
spoken.28 Reckless words can "pierce like a
sword," and can do significant harm to others.29
Control Yourself: When provoked, try to remain
calm and avoid shouting.30 Step back and think
about what you are going to say before you say it, and don't
speak in haste.31 Often, you can calm a quarrel
by remaining quiet and being patient.30-33
Remember that a "gentle answer" can defuse a situation and
stop an argument from getting out of
control.34 In fact, if you
control your temper and are patient, your gentle answer can
prove to be a major "weapon" against your opponent.35,36
Keep Things In Perspective: Avoid foolish and
stupid arguments; they only produce quarrels.37
People who love to quarrel love sin.38 Keep
things in perspective, and learn to drop things that aren't
really that important.39 Don't pay attention to
every word that people say40 and try to "hold
your tongue" before speaking;41 develop good
listening skills, and try not to respond without first
hearing what the other person has to say.42
Don't Go to Bed Angry: If possible, try to
resolve your anger with another person before you go to bed
at night.43 This may require that you
forgive the other person, or ask the other person to forgive
you.44 Apparently the devil loves it when we go
to bed angry and upset at each other.43
Stay Away From Angry People: Anger can be
contagious. Scriptures warn us to stay away from
people who get angered easily, and avoid making friends with
hot-tempered people-so that we don't learn their ways and
become angry people ourselves.45 Hot-tempered
people commit many sins,46 and get into trouble a
lot. If you rescue them from their trouble, you will
probably have to do it again and again.47
Be Wise and Try to Live in Peace: Finally, if
you are wise, you will learn to restrain your words48
and your temper,49 and turn anger away whenever
possible.50 Never try to stir up anger.51
Make every effort to live
peacefully with all men.52 Love one another, as
God loves us.53 Remember that love is patient
and kind; it keeps no record of wrongs, and it is not easily
angered.54 |
Scriptures on Anger
The LORD, the LORD, the
compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in
love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and
forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
(Exodus 34:6-7)1
"The LORD is slow to anger,
abounding in love and
forgiving sin and
rebellion."
(Numbers 14:18)2
Who knows the power of your
anger? For your wrath is
as great as the fear that is
due you.
(Psalm 90:11)3
God's anger rose against
them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down
the young men of Israel.
(Psalm 78:31)4
The whole land will be a
burning waste of salt and sulfur-
nothing planted, nothing
sprouting, no vegetation
growing on it. It will be
like the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah, Admah and
Zeboiim, which the
LORD overthrew in fierce
anger.
(Deuteronomy 29:23)5
Therefore the LORD'S anger
burned against this land, so that
he brought on it all the
curses written in this book.
(Deuteronomy 29:27)6
They made him jealous with
their foreign gods and
angered him with their
detestable idols.
(Deuteronomy 32:16)7
If you forsake the LORD and
serve foreign gods, he will turn
and bring disaster on you
and make an end of you,
after
he has been good to you.
(Joshua 24:20)8
The gracious hand of our God
is on everyone who looks to
him, but his great anger
is against all who forsake him."
(Ezra 8:22)9
Great is the LORD'S anger
that burns against us because
our fathers have not obeyed
the words of this book; they
have not acted in accordance
with all that is
written there concerning us.
(2
Kings 22:13)10
Seek the LORD, all you
humble of the land, you who do what
he commands. Seek
righteousness, seek humility; perhaps
you will be sheltered on the
day of the LORD'S anger.
(Zephaniah 2:3)11
Jesus entered the temple
area and drove out all who were
buying and selling there.
He overturned the tables
of the money changers and
the benches of those
selling doves. "It is
written," he said to them, "My
house will be called a house
of prayer, but you
are making it a den of
robbers."
(Matthew 21:12-13)12
He looked around at them in
anger and, deeply distressed at
their stubborn hearts, said
to the man, "Stretch out
your hand." He stretched it
out, and his hand
was completely restored.
(Mark 3:5)13
"Woe to you, teachers of the
law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You are like
whitewashed tombs,
which look beautiful on the
outside but on the
inside are full of dead
men's bones and
everything unclean."
(Matthew 23:27)14
"In your anger do not sin":
Do not let the sun go down while
you are still angry, and do
not give the devil a foothold.
(Ephesians 4:26-7)15
Rebuke your neighbor frankly
so you will not
share in his guilt.
(Leviticus 19:17)16
Brothers, if someone is
caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him
gently. But watch yourself, or you also
may be tempted.
(Galatians 6:1)17
There is not a righteous man
on earth who does
what is right and never
sins.
(Ecclesiastes 7:20)18
Preach the Word; be prepared
in season and out of
season; correct, rebuke and
encourage-with great
patience and careful
instruction.
(2
Timothy 4:2)19
Get rid of all bitterness,
rage and anger, brawling
and slander, along with
every form of malice.
(Ephesians 4:31)20
Refrain from anger and turn
from wrath.
(Psalm 37:8)21
A fool gives full vent to
his anger, but a wise man
keeps himself under control.
(Proverbs 29:11)22
A quick-tempered man does
foolish things.
(Proverbs 14:17)23
Do not be quickly provoked
in your spirit, for anger
resides in the lap of fools.
(Ecclesiastes 7:9)24
Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow
to become angry, for man's
anger does not bring
about the righteous life
that God desires.
(James 1:19-20)25
He who guards his lips
guards his life, but he who
speaks
rashly will come to ruin.
(Proverbs 13:3)26
The tongue has the power of
life and death.
(Proverbs 18:21)27
But I tell you that men will
have to give an account on
the day of judgment for
every careless
word
they have spoken.
(Matthew 12:36)28
Reckless words pierce like a
sword, but the
tongue of the wise brings
healing.
(Proverbs 12:18)29
The quiet words of the wise
are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler
of fools.
(Ecclesiastes 9:17)30
Do you see a man who speaks
in haste? There is
more hope for a fool than
for him.
(Proverbs 29:20)31
A hot-tempered man stirs up
dissension, but a
patient man calms a quarrel.
(Proverbs 15:18)32
Through patience a ruler can
be persuaded, and a
gentle tongue can break a
bone.
(Proverbs 25:15)33
A gentle answer turns away
wrath, but a harsh
word stirs up anger.
(Proverbs 15:1)34
Better a patient man than a
warrior, a man who controls
his temper than one who
takes a city.
(Proverbs 16:32)35
Through patience a ruler can
be persuaded, and
a gentle tongue can break a
bone.
(Proverbs 25:15)36
Don't have anything to do
with foolish and stupid arguments,
because you know they
produce quarrels.
(2
Timothy 2:23)37
He who loves a quarrel loves
sin.
(Proverbs 17:19)38
Starting a quarrel is like
breaching a dam; so drop
the matter before a dispute
breaks out.
(Proverbs 17:14)39
Do not pay attention to
every word people say.
(Ecclesiastes 7:21)40
He who guards his lips
guards his life, but he who
speaks rashly will come to ruin.
(Proverbs 13:3)41
He who answers before
listening-that is his
folly and his shame.
(Proverbs 18:13)42
Do not let the sun go down
while you are still angry,
and
do not give the devil a foothold.
(Ephesians 4:26-27)43
Be kind and compassionate to
one another, forgiving
each other, just as in
Christ God forgave you.
(Ephesians 4:32)44
Do not make friends with a
hot-tempered man, do not
associate with one easily
angered, or you may learn
his ways and get yourself
ensnared.
(Proverbs 22:24-25)45
A hot-tempered one [man]
commits many sins.
(Proverbs 29:22)46
A hot-tempered man must pay
the penalty; if you
rescue him, you will have to
do it again.
(Proverbs 19:19)47
A man of knowledge uses
words with restraint, and
a man of understanding is
even-tempered
(Proverbs 17:27)48
A fool gives full vent to
his anger, but a wise man
keeps himself under control.
(Proverbs 29:11)49
Wise men turn away anger.
(Proverbs 29:8) 50
For as churning the milk
produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so
stirring up anger produces strife.
(Proverbs 30:33) 51
Make
every effort to live in
peace with all men.
(Hebrews 12:14)52
Dear friends, let us love
one another,
for love comes from God.
(1
John 4:7)53
Love is patient, love is
kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps
no record of wrongs.
(1
Corinthians 13:4-5)54
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