Anger [2 of 4]

Anger [2 of 4]

There are three kinds of anger mentioned in the Bible and confirmed by observation and experience.  The first two words we will consider are found in Ephesians 4:13:
 

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Dear Free in Christ Brothers,
 

In the book of Jonah, we have the historical account of God's effort to draw a city away from sin and to Himself.  I know you recall that God commissioned Jonah to Nineveh and call them to repentance.  Jonah first refused, but God painfully persuaded him to fulfill his assignment and Jonah did.  The result is that Nineveh repented and the city was spared God's awesome wrath.  However, when Jonah realized that God was not going to destroy Nineveh, "he became angry" (4:1), and he asked that God take his life (4:3).  God responded to his ANGER, not with condemnation or rebuke, but with a pointed question:  "Do you have good reason to be angry?" (4:4).

The first purpose for emotions like anger is to help us recognize what we REALLY believe and how we think.  Emotions are the windows of our minds and souls. (Note: there is a difference between "feelings" and genuine emotions.)  Jonah's anger alerted him to the fact that he did not truly appreciate God's love and mercy (4:2).  Then God went on to correct his faulty thinking by using a plant and a worm as an object lesson (4:6-11).

Emotion has been given to us by God so that we can bring our convictions and thoughts back in line with His truth.  When we DENY OR SUPPRESS OUR EMOTIONS we short-circuit that God-ordained process.  That is why God acknowledges our emotions such as anger.  BUT - with his acknowledgment, God also commands us not to sin (Eph. 4:26).

One reason for this command is obvious.  Sin offends God and is wrong.  But why the command to not sin in the context of acknowledging one's anger?  The reason, once again, is directly related to God's divine purpose for emotions.  Emotions not only help us to know what we TRULY believe and think, but they also MOTIVATE us to do what is RIGHT.

I used to have a problem with James 1:20, as I thought it denied this. James says, "The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God." But I have come to see this verse differently.

The word ANGER here refers to a "strong and persistent feeling of indignation," that is, bitterness or resentment, as opposed to another word in the New Testament which refers to an outburst or a fleeting experience of anger.  It is true that deep-seated, entrenched anger (like I used to have) does not achieve the righteousness of God.  But short-term anger, like other emotions, can motivate us to do that which does honor God.

We all know Christians who now actively oppose abortion, but who didn't always think that way.  Why the change?  One reason might be that they saw photos of unborn children that had been aborted and it made them ANGRY. Because of that anger they are now trying to do what they can to save these children.  This is where the command in Ephesians 4:26 enters in.  

It is RIGHT to be angry about the killing of children, and this anger should motivate us to action.  But our actions must be God-honoring, not sinful. We can't allow our anger over abortion to be expressed in sinful ways, like killing doctors who perform abortions.  God wants us to acknowledge our feelings and properly express and act on them.  But we must not sin.

Some Christian counselors (and some pastors) still implicitly approve of sinful expressions of emotion.  The excuse that "at least he's learning to express his emotions" is absolutely unacceptable.  There is an important balance involved in dealing with one's emotions.  GOD COMMANDS US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM, but He also commands us to act upon them in a way that honors Him and furthers His purposes.

While in counseling, I was told how a Christian should handle him emotions:

(1)  Fully experience your emotions; feel them.

(2)  Use your emotions; HONESTLY evaluate what they reveal about your beliefs and purposes.

(3)  Be free to express every emotion, but LIMIT EXPRESSION BY THE PURPOSES OF LOVE.

Finally, what has all this got to do with getting free of pornography and other sinful sexual behavior?  If you have read this far, you might accept my thesis that anger is an extremely dangerous emotion if not confronted, understood, and accepted.  Unresolved anger is one of the primary emotions that "causes" us to act out.  

I am not talking about getting mad because the dog peed on the rug.  I AM talking about deep-rooted, active anger that exists in the subconscious because it is too terrible to face.  When I was in counseling, my therapist told me my "anger quotient" was right off the top of the chart.  I couldn't believe it.  Mild-mannered, meek, little me? An angry man?

WHY do you do what you do?  We all know that it isn't because we're "not getting enough" at home.  We all know that it isn't because we "need to get off."  We all know that stress and tensions and self-pity are lies.  THEN WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO?

Is it possible that the "medication" of porn and its related activities are symptomatic of a deep-rooted anger in us that we are too afraid to honestly confront?  If you even suspect that this post is touching a raw nerve, I implore you to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the source of your anger.  God will give you the courage and grace to face it honestly and kill it.

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