Anger [3 of 4]

Anger [3 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:
 

VIEW PREVIOUS   |   VIEW NEXT

Dear FREE IN CHRIST Brothers,
 

A Christian should use their emotions to consider what the anger may reveal about his beliefs and purposes.  We DO need to examine our "feelings."  But what in particular should we be looking for?

We should perhaps analyze ANGER.  Anger is basically the emotion of frustration [and often hurt].  When we are angry, it is because someone or something has kept us from accomplishing a PERSONAL GOAL or having something we DEEPLY DESIRE.

Sometimes when we are angry it is because we have desires and goals that are CLEARLY WRONG and they are being blocked.  When this is the case we need to ask God to teach us to be willing to be more like Him.  But what about when our desires and goals ARE biblical or not inherently wrong?  What about those times when what we desire is what we NEED and those desires and goals are still frustrated?

There are a lot of angry people around, but they don't APPEAR to be angry.  They appear to be healthy, intelligent, well-adjusted, and even cheerful.  But underneath is a volcano of anger just waiting to explode -- and it does -- all over those who love us and others, and on frequent occasions.  These volcanic eruptions occur for a variety of reasons, one of the major ones being our LEGITIMATE HUMAN NEED FOR SIGNIFICANCE.  

If we do not feel significant,  we are probably deeply angry people without knowing it.  Deeply angry people are prone to becoming sex addicts because - among other things - sexual immorality is something they can control and thus feel "significant."

It is not WRONG to have our legitimate human needs met.  But when the "needs" are not legitimate [this means the "need" is a craving not from God], then our beliefs need to be reassessed.  Philippians 4:19 states that "my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

This is a promise from God to generously meet all the needs that a Christian has.  I believe that this promise includes our EMOTIONAL needs (significance) as well as our physical ones.  But notice that God does not promise to meet our needs in the way we may desire or in accordance with our personal goals regarding the timing.  Most of us accept that God's timing is always perfect.  

The good nature of God's timing may not seem that it is actually good at any given moment, but He alone knows what is best for us and He acts on our behalf at exactly the right time.  This is one reason why the book of James says, "Let everyone be . . . slow to anger" (James 1:19).  Christians need to believe that God is in control of all things and that He will meet our needs in His perfect time.

Yes, there are a lot of angry Christians - and many of them are ANGRY WITH GOD, although they may be reluctant to admit it.  Christian anger with God is a much bigger and wide-spread problem than we might want to admit.  Do you see it in ME in my posts?  

But if we believe that God is in control of all things (Eph. 1:11), then whatever happens to us is ultimately HIS will.  So if we are angry, we are angry with God whether we admit it or not.

Occasional or temporary anger may not be directed at God, but when we CONTINUE to be angry it indicates that we are not happy with the way God is running the universe, especially our part of it.  Until we are willing to admit this, we cannot truly begin the healing process. 

When we have ADMITTED our anger with God, the process has begun but it is far from over. The angry Christian MUST believe that God has promised to meet his needs and to do what is ultimately best for him (Rom. 8:28).  Obviously, this involves trust.  But how does a person trust someone that he feels has failed him so terribly?

The answer, brothers, is one that I, at least, am learning rather slowly it seems:  EACH OF US MUST GET TO KNOW GOD A LOT BETTER!  This isn't going to happen overnight.  It will require time and much effort.  We have to become REACQUAINTED, as it were, with God through the study of Scripture and seeing God in the lives of our brothers.

Once the focus is off ourselves and on God and others, it is absolutely amazing to see how anger suddenly leaves us. 

VIEW PREVIOUS   |   VIEW NEXT

One side note:  Anger can have it's roots in unresolved hurts from the past.  Sometimes we need to get past the anger and offer forgiveness to the person who hurt us (or even offer forgiveness to ourselves).