Properly Angry: Your Anger is Doing Damage (A Remix)
Sometimes, Jesus got
angry: ‘So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts,
both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and
overturned their tables’ (John 2:15 NIV). Money-changing was a system that made
a daily habit of insulting God’s house. So Jesus had a right to be angry. We
know He never sinned (1 Peter 2:22), so His anger definitely wasn’t sin.
As our hearts become
more like His, there’ll be times when our anger is justified like that, too.
(Though that doesn’t mean that our human nature can never *lead* our anger to
turn into sin - check Ephesians 4:26 NIV.) It’s worth bearing in mind, though,
that Jesus didn’t let His anger be felt by those around Him unless He knew that
it was the right thing to get the situation fixed. We don’t often see Him
angry. Even when He met Zacchaeus, who’d been taking advantage of people’s
money (see Luke 19:1-10), He didn’t rage at him. He saw the person, first, and
loved him.
Angry outbursts are
destructive in all relationships, especially in your home. Children are the
most vulnerable to parental anger, and they mirror their parents’ behaviour. We shape our children’s
destiny by our words, behaviours, and attitudes, and if they’re raised in a
home that’s consistently high-volume, they’ll react similarly. Your actions are
training your children to be hysterical and violent. Soon everyone will be
overreacting, flying into fits of rage, and attacking one another.
When you exhibit
tantrum-like behaviour you’re acting out of a selfish need to get what you
want, when you want it, in the way you think you ought to have it. Please - for
your family’s sake - start acting like an adult; exhibit self-control. ‘Imitate
those who through faith and patience inherit the promises’ (Hebrews 6:12 NKJV).
Notice, you must have faith
and patience. You may not be able to control what happens in life, but you can
certainly control your reaction. Whether it’s the anger a father brings home
from the workplace, or a wife’s anger towards her husband, it can bring a
curse.
Simeon and Levi harboured
anger in their hearts and became vicious and vindictive murderers. Because of
this, a curse came upon them, and the anger was passed down from generation to
generation (see Genesis 49). You must break the curse by resisting the
temptation to let anger dictate your behaviour.
We just need to learn
to sift through our anger - when we see a system that hurts people (or God),
let that bubbling-up of anger move you to constructive action. Don’t just sit
and get red-faced about it. Other times, when you know that your anger is
perhaps more person-related, learn to defuse the fuse, and approach the person
with love.
In the words of James: ‘My
dear brothers, take note … 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 NIV 1984 Edition).
What Now?
Next time you find yourself getting
angry, go into another room. Set a timer for three minutes, and pray. Figure
out whether your anger is justified, or just a human niggle. Either way, ask
God what you can do to bring Him into the situation.
Source: Word for Today and Word For You Today
Photo Credit: Google Images
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