Dealing with The Danger of Anger

UV 3334/10000 Dealing With The Danger of Anger

Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts; or go along with a hot-tempered man,

Proverbs 22 v 24


Scripture can be seen as a bunch of keys to the locks and barriers or blocks to blessings that we confront in life. Anger is one such block or lock we need to unlock with the appropriate uni-verses. Anger affects our opportunities as well as our productivity or our ability to work usefully and effectively. If used wisely, if it is controlled or regulated or diverted into productive forms and creative expressions of anger, it can be a channel of energy and power. Uncontrolled and unbridled anger, scripture says, is a snare, a dangerous trap that can ruin our health, mental and physical, our well being, our relationships, our decision making. The image we have of unbridled anger is a person who does not have the reins of self control, of what he says or does, in his own hands. He is like a wild horse that is out of control and can hurt himself and others. It is self destructive. The Bible further says that it resides in the lap of fools. Even if we get angry for it is often natural to be internally upset over something someone said or did or did not do but we should not let anger lead us into sin of bitterness, unforgiveness and folly. Instead, scripture exhorts us to be wise, calm and patient.

The solution or key the Bible offers is that we should submit our anger to the Lord, seek the help of the Holy Spirit to tame our anger and enable us to express it in creative, controlled and not in destructive or negative ways. Like the furious noon day sun cools down as it traverses the afternoon sky and becomes calm and peaceful before sun set, we should make sure we do not carry anger or its residues of negative thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions into the night or the next day. Unlike a cashier who carries over to the next day, the balance of residue of cash available with him, we should ensure we do not carry turbulent emotions into the next day. We should start emotionally on a clean slate the next day, confessing our anger to the Lord and seeking His help to tame it and resolve the issues behind it amicably or peacefully.

Very often it is the angry behavior or outbursts of our near and dear that causes us to also loose self control and become angry. We say and do things we would regret later. Wisdom of the scriptures offers us another key or solution in this regard for it asks us to overlook the offence for the glory of God by His grace. It is our ego that makes us think that if we do not react in like manner we might look weak. In fact, it is only the wise and strong who can remain calm and patient even if they are being found fault unjustly. We could wait till the other person calmed down before we point out our version of what provoked them to anger.