On Anger

Some of you may be surprised to hear this but despite my often relaxed demeanor, something that I do occasionally struggle with is being quick to anger. I am not always the most patient person and when it things such as long wait times, slow drivers, dysfunctional technology, video games, and unhelpful support lines, my frustration can often quickly boil up. And while I’ve certainly gotten better at dealing with my anger towards people face-to-face, I surprisingly still have a long way to go in managing my anger towards non-sentient objects.

I wanted to write about anger because I think it is such an interesting emotion. While happiness or sadness have obvious connotations, our source of anger isn’t necessarily always good or bad. Anger can come from a good place, such as from a desire to see justice. At the same time, anger can just as easily come from a bad place, such as being the fruit of jealousy or impatience. Yet, anger that comes from a righteous place is at no less risk than a selfish one with regard to sin. While anger itself is not necessarily a sin, the Bible warns us many times that anger, if not reined in, can rule over us.

The main and most telling example of this happens in the story of Cain and Abel which occurs in Genesis 4. In this chapter, due to God’s preference for Abel’s offerings to Cain’s, Cain becomes very angry.

In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Genesis 4:4-5

God confronts Cain in his anger and warns him that if he does not rule over it, “sin is crouching at the door.” If he does not rule over his anger, sin will rule over him.

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:6-7

And while Cain ultimately was unable to do what was right, there is still a lot to be learned from his example. Yes, we learn what not to do with our anger, but we also learn how in times of anger, God will confront his people.

God Confronts Us in Our Anger

The book of Jonah is about a very angry guy and a far too merciful God. Despite Jonah’s adamant refusal of God calling him to the city of Nineveh, he somehow ends up there anyway through a one-way trip in the belly of a fish. Once there, he proclaims a short and not very particularly thought-out message to the people of Nineveh:

“Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

Jonah 3:4b

Yet, that short 8-word proclamation was more than enough, leading the entire city of Nineveh to repent in the hope that God would relent of his anger:

The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”

Jonah 3:6-9

God, in his mercy, relents and spares the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:10). Jonah, however, is not so happy about this situation. He is angry that God has wasted his time bringing him here. Why make him come all the way here if He was just going to spare the people anyway? Jonah is so angry he could die (Jonah 4:3). God confronts Jonah, asking him,

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah 4:4 NIV

God then proceeds to grow a leafy plant to provide shade for Jonah under the beating sun. Overnight, God sends a worm to eat up the plant until it withers. The following morning, Jonah wakes up once again to the scorching heat and angrier than ever, tells God it would be better for him to die than to live (Jonah 4:8). God confronts Jonah once again, asking him the same question he did the day prior,

But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”

Jonah 4:9a NIV

Jonah, more furious than ever, once again says that he is angry enough to die (Jonah 4:9b). God, however, doesn’t let it slide this time. He tells Jonah, that if Jonah is allowed to be concerned for a plant that he did not even tend or make grow, then should not God be allowed to be concerned for the city of Nineveh? For its 120,000 people and the many animals there? (Jonah 4:10-11).

Of course, the Bible doesn’t tell us how Jonah responds. Because the question God asks is not only targeted toward Jonah but is also targeted toward us, the readers. God is asking us “is it right for YOU to be angry?” When we find ourselves in situations of frustration and anger, God challenges us to confront our anger. Do we have the right to be angry?

If God is willing to relent his anger towards me, what right do I have to continue to be angry towards the brother or sister in front of me, whom God has also relented His anger against? If God is willing to relent his anger towards me, surely I can relent my anger against the support line person who is probably trying their best on the other side. Even when I find myself angry at a washing machine, is not the machine, the water, electricity, and everything else solely a gift from God? What have I contributed?

When we are willing to confront our anger, we are able to experience and encounter God and his grace more fully. It is far easier to relent against someone who has relented against us. But it is far more Christ-like to relent against someone who is angry with you. In the same way that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8), let us kill the anger inside of us for the sake of others, regardless of whether we believe they deserve it or not.

Not Giving The Devil a Foothold

The next passage I’d like to take a look at appears in Ephesians:

‭‭Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

Ephesians 4:26-27

In this passage, Paul tells the people of Ephesus, be angry and do not sin. He does not necessarily condemn anger but he does condemn the sin that can result from it. Like it was mentioned earlier, feelings of anger can come from a good place. But living as broken people in a broken world, we are susceptible to doing evil even in our desire for good. It is one thing to desire justice, it is another to take it into our own hands.

He continues, do not let the sun go down on your anger. Why? do not give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27 NIV). Paul warns them of the danger of leaving anger unattended. Anger, if not dealt with, can give opportunity for the devil to exploit us. When we are angry, we can lose control of our inhibitions and act rashly—making us susceptible to temptation that leads to sin.

The prime Biblical example of this is once again in the story of Cain and Abel.

Cain, in his desire for justice, whether justified or not, lets his anger overtake him. In doing so, he gives the devil a foothold. He takes his notion of justice into his own hands and becomes the sole judge, jury, and executioner for his brother. However, we know that this role is not for us to play. God is the judge. And vengeance is not ours to repay but God’s.

‭‭Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19

And maybe you are reading this and are thinking to yourself, “I have done no such thing! I have never murdered anyone. I have my anger under control.” And if your understanding of the law is solely based on the word of the law you’d be right. But Jesus holds His people to a higher standard.

‭“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘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; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

Matthew 5:21-22

Jesus says that anyone who is angry at their brother or sister has already committed murder in their hearts. Anyone who has said in their hearts, “I’m so angry at this person I could kill them” has already done so. They are already subject to judgment and the law.

This is because God knows what starts in our hearts doesn’t end there. Our actions are a reflection of what goes on in our hearts. If in our hearts is anger and a desire for vengeance, then the fruit of that will be demonstrated in the way we treat our neighbor.

‭‭Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

Matthew 15:17-20

Therefore, as Paul warns, do not leave your anger unattended and do not let the sun set while you are still angry. Doing so only puts us at greater risk of sin.

We Are More Than Our Anger

In Genesis 1, when God creates man, He makes him unlike any other beast. He makes man in Imago Dei, the “image of God.”

‭‭Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:26-27

This means many things. It means that man has intrinsic value, it means that man has creativity, it means that man can reason, and it also means that man has the freedom to choose. We, made in the image of God, are not bound by our instincts in the same way that animals are. We, made in the image of God, are more than the emotions that we feel. We, made in the image of God, are more than the anger that we experience.

Yes, it is true that we live in a fallen world. Yes, it is true that our nature has been corrupted and that our choices are not entirely our own. But to say we have absolutely no autonomy is untrue.

Once again we look at the interaction between God and Cain.

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”

Genesis 4:6-7

God gives Cain a choice. If he does what is right, he will be accepted. And if he does not, sin is ready to devour him.

Even when in anger, we have a choice. We can choose to trust the word of God—that vengeance is his:

‭‭Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Romans 12:19

Or we can choose to take it into our own hands like Cain does.

We can choose to crucify and forgo our anger, knowing we have no right,

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Jonah 4:4 NIV

Or we can choose to be like Jonah, stubborn and ready to die for a cause we have no part in.

When God confronts us in our anger, how will we respond?

Will we harden our hearts like the Israelites in the desert?

‭‭Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness

Hebrews 3:7

Or will we entrust to God all our heart, soul, strength, and mind?

Stay cool,

Jason