Christianity Plain and Simple

Anger

Outside of love, one of the most common traits sadly associated with Christianity is not peace, not compassion, not kindness, but anger. I believe part of this is because of the misplacement of anger in our lives. The most often quoted verse about anger is in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:26 - Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Many Christians read and quote this frequently. They say that it is okay to get angry as long as we hold it under control and have dissolved and worked it out by sundown.

This is not true though.

All verses must be read in both context and correlation with other verses. Let's look at the verse that comes a little later in the same chapter.

Ephesians 4:31 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

We need to learn to put away ALL anger and wrath. Yes, when someone does us wrong, we need to learn not to respond in anger as opposed to responding in "righteous wrath."

What about the above verse then? God is showing us how to behave when we are angry. We are to not take it any further. To take our anger and act on it or to dwell in it is wrong. It is true sometimes we feel things we were not planning, that is part of being sinful, and God is forgiving and I dare to even understanding. But to use that verse as a free pass card to be angry at people who disagree with us or who do wrong is not God's will.

Many Christians will also point to God. God is angry at sinners, therefore, it is acceptable for us to be angry with people who sin. May I point out that there are many things that God, as Creator and Ruler of the universe is permitted to do that we are not such as decide when people die and forgive sins. Just because God is angry at sinners does not mean we need to hold those kind of things in us. The Bible says our wrath will not result in righteousness like God's will.

James 1:20 - For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Again, anger is an emotion that sometimes does rise up without us meaning to, but it is the decisions we consciously make, to foster it, continue in it, and to "rage against the heathen" so to speak, is wrong.

Rather, we are to be examples of peace, quietness, and meekness.

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

When we are at the height of our spirituality, we will be these things, none of which is angry or rough or uncouth. There are times when we must be bold, yes. We need to speak the truth. But to be consumed by anger will only destroy us and the testimony of God.