What Is Your Anger Leading You Toward?
Can you think back to the last time you got angry?
When you felt your blood pressure rise and your body begin to feel agitated?
How did you respond in that moment?
Did you hold it all in? Did you react without thinking? Did you raise your voice or dump your feelings onto someone else?
God has designed us with emotions to be expressed, including anger. Often times, we forget that this God-given emotion is to be stewarded by us, not hold power over and lead us. The emotion of anger can either lead us to sin or point us to God to walk the emotion out in a God-honoring way.
God calls us to have righteous anger towards our own sin against Him. He also wants us to have a righteous anger towards the injustice done against fellow image-bearers and to respond by lovingly advocating for them.
In the times I look back to when I was angry, most of the time it probably was selfishly. Though I’ve grown in this area over the years, I saw myself being passivie aggressive and letting anger bubble up because I didn’t like conflict. I would cope the wrong way and distract myself from expressing the frustration. I’m not usually someone who yells or blows up, my anger would remain hidden but that doesn’t mean it was right.
Do you see anger leading you to gossip, vent, to blow up at a loved one, to give a cold shoulder and ghost a person, or to rant on social media? Or do we pray about it? Do we ask God for help? Do we do something about it, have a conversation, seek forgiveness or reconciliation?
When we pause to look at the root of our anger, is it leading us to sin or is it leading us to live righteously?
SINFUL ANGER DOESN’T PRODUCE RIGHTEOUSNESS
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”
-James 1:19-20
God desires us to live in a way that honors Him and reflects His good and loving character. Human anger, which is a selfish, uncontrolled, and foolishly reactive, does not reflect God, rather it reflects the evil ways of the Devil. Sinful anger left uncontrolled is the most deadly sin and can snowball into even more vicious sin.
“You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment, But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.”
-Matthew 5:21-22
In the gospels, Jesus is clear that not only the act but the heart posture of anger is ungodly. This sin will receive judgement because an angry heart reveals sin against not just the person you’re mad at but sin against God and His creation.
Let’s face it, we’ve all gotten mad and our heart’s anger has shown it in different forms like slaming a door, screaming, cussing, being passive aggressive, saracastic, holding grudges, unforgiveness, gossip, etc. This list could go on and on but however this unrighteous anger is expressed, it’s ungodly and all anger points to what we actually love and trust.
ANGER SHOWS WHAT WE LOVE THE MOST
“Unrighteous anger viciously attempts to protect a flawed love. She explodes over selfish, irrelevant things, and carelessly overlooks the things that offend and dishonor God.”
-Marshall Segal
Ever been in the home where they had their beautiful china on display behind a china cabinet? I remember being told as a child by someone who placed their precious valubles behind that glass- “Don’t you dare touch it, open it, or rearrange anything, this is valuable to me, I don’t want it broken or stolen, I’ll be really angry if anything happens to it!”
Most of the time, our sinful anger looks like grandma protecting her precious china cabinet that she proudly displays in her dining area. We want to protect what we think will give us peace, joy, and satisfaction. We like being in control. When God or someone get near those prized posessions that we are resting in, we end up saying similar things like; “Don’t you dare make my name look bad,” “Don’t you dare take my boyfriend away from me,” or “Don’t you dare make me lose my job.” When relying on these things for what God can only bring us fully, this type of idol worshipping brings destruction to lives as our fear of losing the false security of the idols turns to sinful anger.
Whether one is being self-consumed or seeking to serve themselves through revenge, the love behind this anger is something that is being positioned before their love for God. If God was really their first love they would submit that anger to Him rather than impulsively being led by it. Living out a life that is angry doesn’t help anyone, it hurts and brings more pain to the people around you. It doesn’t build up, it destroys. Sinful anger points to a heart that is afraid. This fear can make a person feel like they need to take control over a situation they aren’t in control of by expressing explosive anger. Sinful anger leads people to fear me instead of fearing our righteous God. If this emotion is not controlled and stewarded well it will be used to try and control others selfishly instead of to selflessly serve others with a righteous anger.
WE ARE CALLED TO HAVE RIGHTEOUS ANGER
“Anger is a normal God given emotion, a desire to have injustice redressed. It’s better to love justice wholeheartedly with a committed will AND holy passion.”
-Thomas Aquinas
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
- Ephesians 4:26
When we look at the example Jesus led when he lived on earth, he got angry but he never sinned. People love to look at the example of Jesus flipping a table to justify their anger. But His anger here was actually righteous. His anger towards the religious leaders was because He loves so much. These men were hindering others from having a holy place of worship and were using the space for their selfish and greedy desires. Jesus’ sinless anger points to the pure love of God for holy things that honor Him.
Sometimes we are good at controlling our sinful anger but we fall so short when it comes to having righteous anger for the things that dishonor the Lord.
Righteous anger comes from loving God rightly with a desire to serve Him and others. The love behind this anger is directed towards honoring our holy God.
Why do we get more mad when our friend doesn’t text us back, or someone like a boss/parent stops you from doing what you want to do, or when someone takes a jab at your theology —than we get mad about sex slavery, or people going hungry, or the depression your classmates and neighbors are drowning in? This happens when our anger is more focused on ourselves rather that God and His image bearers. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our best ability with the Spirit’s empowerment. With righteous anger, God want us to stand up and advocate on behalf of others when injustice is being done, to speak out, to help those who are helpless, to serve and love those who are in need.
The Lord absolutely hates that sin is destroying creation. His heart is grieved by the pain that is being inflicted upon what He loves. There is no one more angry at sin, pain, and death like God is.
CHRIST SOLVES GOD’S ANGER
“Our best means to fight sinful anger is to remember the anger of God-- to remember his love and to what cost he has gone to end all threats against it. It’s only there, where we see God’s love-- when we align our loves with his-- that our anger can be sanctified. Loving like he loves is the only change our anger has of being right.”
-Marshall Segal
John 3:16 tells us that God so LOVED the world. Through God’s righteous anger towards sin justified on the cross we see His pure and holy love. Christ satisfied God’s anger towards our sin and through faith in Him, Christ changes us as we continue to behold His beauty. It should grieve our hearts that it is our sin that has placed Him upon the cross. Yet while being forgiven much by Christ, He can help you to forgive others you might get mad at. With thankfulness for taking our place, we can respond in worship by living for Him and in His righteous ways.
Because of the cross, we don’t have to respond to situations with sinful anger, we are freed from that pattern. The truth is Jesus satisfies us better than our other sinful loves that we are looking to and get defensive over. When you encounter the living God who’s peace surpasses all understanding you can let down your walls of anger, become honest with him in prayer about what is causing you to be mad, and you’ll see His peace calm your fears. By submitting yourself to God, you can resist the temptation to sin, and be empowered to live as Jesus did.
For those of you who have been wronged, remember you're not the one who has to bring revenge or justice. God is a just God and will have final justice on all sin. He knows what was done, it does not go unpunished, and He cares for you. Justice was paid for your sin at the cross and justice will be served one day for those who have wronged you and the Lord. You can rest in His justice.
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
-John 16:33
Next time you are faced with anger and fear from the tribulation in this world— take heart, have courage, do not fear, do not sin with anger, for Jesus comforts us that He has overcome the world and we can rest in Him.
Let’s not be a people who are hurting and want to hurt others. Let’s be a people who are healing and who point others to the healer, the One who redeems and restores.
Next time anger rises up; be slow to speak, quick to listen, let it lead you to God so that He can help you to control your emotions, and prayerfully ask Him: “Lord, how might these feelings be leading me to you so that I can let go of a deeper fear and in return that I may find rest in you? How are you molding me in this circumstance to trust you, look more like you, and not sin with anger?”