Calming AngerSample

Using Anger for Good

There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible. Anger shows up by chapter four. Anger kicked in right after Adam and Eve were removed from Eden. Their sons Cain and Abel offer a sacrifice to God, but God rejects Cain’s offering. Cain got angry. 

God warned Cain that if he didn’t properly manage his anger he was in serious danger. His anger pointed to something deep within him that needed to be dealt with. At that moment, Cain had a choice: use his anger for good or evil. 

Anger is just a sign that something needs to be addressed. It can be used for good or evil. 

Jesus got angry. He stormed through the courtyard of the temple in Jerusalem overturning tables. He was angry about how the religious leaders were abusing people. That was righteous anger. That’s the kind of anger that’s a force to confront injustice and defend the oppressed. You’ve probably felt anger at injustice—seeing a child being emotionally or physically abused, observing someone taking advantage of the poor. Seeing these things makes you want to take action. Like Jesus, we should get angry when we see injustice, and when it’s within our power to do something, we should act. That is truly righteous anger.

Righteous anger is real, but it’s rare. 

I’ve manhandled a few tables in my time, but I can’t say it was because I was standing up for the weak. Hardly. It was because I had unmet expectations or felt a threat to my security, connection, or control. Can you relate?

The Apostle Paul said, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32) When we get angry at situations that threaten our security, connection, or control it tends to lead to unrighteous anger and bitterness, and all the other negative responses Paul mentions in that verse.

But anger can also be used as for good when we see it as a warning light that there is something we need to surrender to God. Whether it's security, connection, or control, God's love is the source. We'll only find those things in Him. So, when we get angry, if we'll control it and consult that anger, it’s a chance to learn a little bit about the deeper parts of our emotions. It can actually lead us to understand ourselves better and remind us of our need for God and the security, connection, and control only He can give. 

Today, use those situations that make you angry as a chance to check in with your emotions and talk to God about them.