anger

God’s Thoughts on Anger

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Let’s be honest. If you read the Bible, particularly the Old Testament, you’re aware of God’s wrath. It seems the writers from earlier time periods focused much more on His anger, but it’s a scary thing to imagine a divine being setting His angry eyes on you. However, you can see Him in the New Testament as well, such as the well-known time when Jesus destroyed the market set up in the temple and chased merchants out with a whip.

So, where does that leave us? I mean, once you’re angry, for good reason or bad, it can be difficult to pull yourself down from the irrational rage or the uncontrollable tears (gosh I hate when I do that). It’s also easy to say that our anger is justified or understandable, but although it very well be to other broken humans, that doesn’t mean it’s good to hold onto.

This topic is my research into God’s thoughts on anger because I’ve been dealing with it in spades this week! Let’s learn together.

I used the Strong’s Concordance to translate the words describing anger, so if you see parenthesis, you know why it’s there.

God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath (abhorrence of the wicked) every day. – Psalm 7:11

Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. The people therefore cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD and the fire died out. – Numbers 11:1-2

“So the LORD’S anger (rapid breathing from ire) burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed. – Numbers 32:13

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” – Matthew 21:12-13

We see here the times when God was angry or enraged. God hates wickedness, which is to say actions, thoughts, and words that bring destruction, death, and pain. Surely it’s painful when His children turn their backs to Him, but it’s mostly about us. He cares so much that He can’t stand when we’re hurt. The first time we see God angry was back in the Garden of Eden, and it actually was with the Serpent who connivingly undermined His children. When others turn their back on Him and His ways, they’re turning their back on Love and His plans for their good. It’s frustrating, it’s saddening, and it’s angering, but’s it’s not selfish.

What about human anger? Anger is an emotion that came with us being made in God’s image. It is natural to our existence and an excellent barometer for danger or wrongdoings around you. However, you should make sure you’re in control of the barometer and it’s not in control of you.

“In your anger (irritate/provoke) do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry (irritation), and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger (passionate wrath & impulsive anger), brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. – Ephesians 4:26-31

This doesn’t say, “do not be angry.” It says, “in your anger, do not sin.” Also, don’t go to sleep angry. Basically, the longer you’re angry and don’t try to resolve the issue or your feelings, the worse your anger will get until it’s difficult to not sin in it.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry (violent passion and by implication punishment), because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. – James 1:19-20

Again, this doesn’t say “do not be angry.” It says, be “slow to become angry” because we are broken, fallible creatures who easily sin in the passions of anger, unlike God.

But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. – Matthew 5:22

You should move past anger as quickly as possible before the emotion overtakes you. You’ll be held responsible (subject to judgment) for holding onto it. The closest word to “raca” is the Aramaic “reqa,” which means empty-headed. Basically, if you insult one another, you’re responsible for your words. Sticks and stones will break their bones and words will break their spirit.

This reminds me of the recent court case where a girl was convicted of telling her boyfriend repeatedly to kill himself, which resulted in his death. Whether it was done out of anger or not, she is responsible for her words and would have been in the court of God whether the court of humans convicted her or not.

Refrain from anger (rapid breathing from ire) and turn from wrath (anger, poison, indignation); do not fret (grow warm in anger)—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. – Psalm 37:8-9

God doesn’t hold onto anger (He’s the essence of forgiveness), but when He does get angry, it’s for selfless reasons. It’s righteous. It’s understandable to become angry when others wrong you. Becoming enraged with the evil in the world is a reflection of God, but do something about it to right the wrong (see below on how). Don’t let it fester inside of you like a wound or else you’ll infect others around you. If you can’t right the wrong, turn to God because nothing is impossible with Him. He is rooting for the good of all.

– but for Cain and his offering he [the LORD] had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 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 for you, but you must rule over it.” Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. – Genesis 4:5-7

Any time you’re unsure if your anger is righteous enough to act upon, consider God’s definition of love:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

In your situation, is your anger a reflection of your kindness for others, your need to protect, your rejoicing in truth? If so, please consider the proper way to stand up and speak (if you want, you can refer to my post called “When & Where to Stand Up” for Bible verses that can guide you). If it’s about your ego, if it’s because you’re easily angered, or if it’s anger over innocent but repeated irritations, perhaps, it’s not Love. If it isn’t Love, it isn’t of God. Proceed with caution.

How do we deal with anger in the correct way? I’m sure there’s plenty of better resources that can help you, but I can add a few things that’s helped me.

1) When you hold onto anger, you allow others to have power over you. They’ve demonstrated the ability to control you, your actions, your words, your life. Don’t just give your self-control away.

2) “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:5). When the spark of anger flares, turn your thoughts to good and lovely things. Cut it off at the root or it will grow more powerful.

3) Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions. You’ve been angry in the past and got over it. You will again.

4) Act, don’t react. Reaction not only gives power away to another person,and it’s usually ineffective in solving the problem. Step away, calm down, then think, plan, and take action with a cool head. You’ll be surprised how much more you get accomplished.

5) The power of prayer. There’s never a replacement for speaking with God. Sounds trite, but He’s the rock in the storm. Stand on Him. There’s never a bad time to speak to Him.

Anger, like any emotion, is neither good nor evil. It’s a barometer given to you from God. You should utilize it correctly to be alert to wrongdoings. If you’re very angry, stop, don’t react. You may need to walk away. Allow yourself to feel the emotions for now and pray. Pray while you’re still enraged. There’s no better listener than God. Then, when the passion is behind you, pray to God for a plan of action, either to protect your heart from future anger or to stand up for what’s right. Now, in calm and with God’s guidance, you can take the next step if there is any.

God bless!

Jesus Wept

/ EloquentMuse / 1 Comment

The shortest sentence in the Bible, at least in English translation, is the iconic, “Jesus Wept.” John 11:35

This phrase is encapsulated in the crux of the full Bible story. So, why did He cry, anyway? As always, let’s start at the beginning…

of mankind.

” – God has said,’You must not eat of it (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) or touch it, or you will die’ ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent told her.” Genesis 3:3-4

Spoiler alert: they ate it, and they died… eventually. Some speculate that since death is used as a term to indicate both spiritual and physical termination, they both experienced an immediate spiritual death. What is spiritual death? Separation from God. When they began to cover themselves and hide in order to avoid God as He walked through the garden, it was a sign the relationship they once had with Him was broken. What about physical death? Ah, many believe that humans were immortal before this time, and the spiritual death initiated the death process. In other words, the moment they betrayed God, Adam and Eve began to age, which would continue genetically through their descendants. As time went on, humans deteriorated faster and faster, living shorter and shorter lives. Either way, that snake lied.

So, what was God’s reaction to this betrayal? I’d venture to say sadness and definitely anger. He cursed all three of them vehemently in the following verses.

Why though? Didn’t He know what was going to happen?

Thousands of years later, when the Son of God walked among their descendants…

“Now a man named Lazarus was sick… When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”…

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days…

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”

But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” John 11:1-44

Some may be confused why Jesus would have cried at all, seeing as He was capable of raising Lazarus from the dead. He mourned not for Lazarus but for everyone else. He didn’t wish for them to be in such pain, and as Isaiah 53:4 states, “-surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrow.”

However, there was more than sadness expressed in these verses. Twice, it states that Jesus was “deeply moved” and “troubled,” which are the words ἐνεβριμήσατο and ἐτάραξεν respectively.

“Deeply moved” translates to “I snort as with indignation and anger.” Troubled translates to “agitated.” Now, anyone familiar with grief will find that it involves more than just sadness. Sometimes, anger, fear, and other emotions are combined. This phrase was repeated more than even the fact that Jesus was saddened. He was angry… but why?

Go back to the beginning, when Death was first introduced into the world. He’s angry that it exists. He’s angry that we have to grieve. He’s angry that our lives, spiritually and physically, are cut short due to the sins of this world. The reason this is such an important story concerning Jesus is because THIS IS WHAT HE’S HERE FOR. He’s here to make His followers believe in His divinity, His ability to save. He’s here to die so that we may live.

Our spiritual death was immediate in the Garden of Eden, but physical death was simply introduced into the human genome so that we would no longer physically live forever. When Jesus came to Earth, He saved many souls immediately and some bodies immediately. However, He wants to save everyone, eventually, in both ways. It is my belief that the seed of physical salvation has also been released into the world from Jesus, and it will come to fruition when the entire world has joined the Kingdom of God.

In the meantime, He grieves for what we must suffer.

Sources other than the Bible:
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/jesus-wept–2
Strong’s Concordance
https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_709.cfm
https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/adam-and-eve/why-didnt-adam-and-eve-die-the-instant-they-ate-the-fruit/

Commandment Series: The Sixth

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“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13

On the surface, this seems like an easy one. I mean, sometimes you might get angry at others, but you’d never exactly kill anyone unless you’re a psychopath… right?

Not so fast.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.” Matthew 5:21-26

Um. So, is Jesus saying murder is equal to simply being angry and calling someone an idiot (the meaning of Raca in Aramaic “reqa”)? Yes.

Why?

Here’s the crux of the matter, and it’s an important one because it may change how you interpret the Bible in many other places as well:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

Although it matters whether you literally kill someone or not, it also matters equally whether you are harboring the beginnings of murder in your heart. Both the seed of faith and the seed of sin lie within our hearts. We cultivate it with our thoughts and the external influences we allow in our lives.

There’s a good story attributed to the Cherokee tribe, and I’m sure you’ve heard it:

One evening, an elderly Cherokee brave told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, “my son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is good. It is joy, peace love, hope serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”

The grandson though about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “which wolf wins?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “the one that you feed.”

It’s natural to occasionally become angry. In fact, I believe every feeling is natural and not evil in and of itself. It’s whether you harbor it, whether you feed it, which determines whether you sin or not. I believe there’s a fine reason for every emotion, but there’s not a good reason for every emotion in every situation. If it’s not righteous anger, which does NOT attach it itself to an individual but rather to the sin itself, it is heading toward sinfulness.

What is sinfulness, but the potential of harm toward others and ourselves?

God doesn’t leave you to deal with your internal tempest alone. He gives many pointers throughout the Bible on how to not break his 6th commandment, how to starve the angry wolf within us.

“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. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Ephesians 4:26-31

Here’s some advice on avoiding the feeding of anger. Don’t let it sleep in your bed with you, so that it may grow and turn into something uglier as you feed it angry thoughts. Another good idea is get busy, give yourself something to do to divert your mind for awhile and give yourself the ability to give help where needed. Charity will calm an angry heart fast. Don’t speak out of anger; when you open your mouth, let it be to build up others not tear them down. Speaking ill of others only breeds more anger within you and now within others.

“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

Here, it is suggested that we close our mouth and open our ears. It may help to slow our anger if we hear the whole story and consider another’s point of view.

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.” James 4:1-2

One sin begets another. Stop it at the source. What is anger but the sense of not getting what we feel entitled to, be that respect, time, material things, etc.? We are entitled to nothing but what God gives us. Be humble and understand that we may not get all things we want from this corrupt, crumbling world. We have better things in store for us than that anyway.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

Don’t you love when another person gets angry that you’re angry? Doesn’t that calm you right down and bring a shared connection with one another? Haha. Fight fire with cooling water, not more fire. This is easier to say than do, but it’s easier the more you practice it, believe me.

I’m sure if you look for it, you’ll find even more advice on how to starve the wolf of anger within you. At first, the wolf will howl inside and pace in what it’s not receiving. Keep going. The more you practice the above, the stronger you will become over it, and the weaker it will be become. This applies to more than just anger.

May you have peace today or as in Hebrew, “Shalom.”