How to Deal With My Angerናሙና

Anger is Foolish

Besides telling us that anger is sinful and dangerous, the Bible repeatedly says something else about anger. It calls this emotion foolish. One biblical proverb states that a quick-tempered person displays foolishness. Another proverb says that fools give full expression to their anger. Yet, another Scripture echoes this sentiment by saying that anger sits in the laps of fools. 

These are some very strong statements. In fact, these truths should definitely affect our ego. After all, no one wants to be called a fool by God Himself. So we need to ask ourselves: Why is anger foolish? The answer lies in the same Scriptures that talk about anger’s folly. Every time the Book of Proverbs describes anger, it also contrasts it with patience. Anger is a powerful emotion; it consumes us. In fact, the Bible connects anger with anxiety and says that it leads to evil. When we are angry, we are overwhelmed by this emotion and we cannot think about anything else. We cannot reason and see any other options or solutions to a situation. Our mind says, “My way or the highway,” and our entire body enters a “fight or flight mode.” This happens because we, our pride, or our opinions, feel threatened. When we are angry, we want to attack the person who causes us to feel this way. 

This, however, is foolish. We might not be threatened. People who disagree with us might have a better solution to the problem. Even if others are wrong, when we attack them in anger, they will not listen to us. They will only want to fight back. That is why the Scripture states that anger causes striving. Patience, however, is the opposite of anger. 

Patience tells us to think, to reason, to weigh out all the options, and to wait for the best solution to a situation. When we patiently present our opinions to others instead of attacking them in anger, they might be much more inclined to listen to us. When we are patient, we keep our mind and body away from unnecessary stress that the emotion of anger causes us. That is why the New Testament instructs us to be quick only to listen, but slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Patience is that “slow and steady” which wins the race of life.