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1. Anger Can Be Good |
Anger -- is it always wrong? No. Some anger is good. Good anger is motivated by unselfishness and is directed against the abuse of what is right -- justice, compassion, love. Anger which motivates a person to strive toward good, like getting laws changed to stop child abuse, is good anger. A wise person will be able to discern the difference.
Romans 12:9b, "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." |
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2. Timely Anger |
Anger can be a timely, useful tool. For example, if a poisonous snake is about to strike a small child, his father would be motivated by anger to quickly kill the snake and protect his childīs life. God gives us the "fight or flight" instinct to produce the adrenaline we need in crisis situations.
Isaiah 7:15b, "
know to refuse the evil, and choose the good." |
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3. Focused Anger |
Focused anger finds ways to correct wrong for the good of ourselves and others. The organization MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is an example of what can be done with good anger that is focused. When you find yourself becoming angry, try to think of ways your anger can be channeled for good.
Isaiah 5:20, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil...."
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4. Making Tea |
"He makes me so mad!" Does he? Pouring hot water over a tea bag doesnīt make tea. The tea is already there. The hot water just brings out its strong flavor. Hot-water situations canīt bring anger out of you unless itīs already there. While you canīt control anotherīs actions, you do have a choice in your emotional reactions. Be better prepared by imagining generic situations involving anger and decide beforehand how you will react to them.
Luke 6:45, "...of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." |
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5. Anger Multiplies Itself |
Uncontrolled anger begets more anger. Road rage, for example. The explosive emotion of anger is like the valve on a pressure cooker. When it "pops its cork," it spews all over everyone in its way. An angry person doesnīt think objectively. Work toward staying calm when another is venting his anger until he has cooled off. Then, if possible, deal with the real problem.
Proverbs 19:11, "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression."
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6. Roots of Bitterness |
Whoever angers you controls you. When you donīt deal with anger in a timely manner, it turns into other negative emotions like resentment, bitterness, hate. Take action to stop the cycle before the roots are so deep they are almost impossible to destroy. As Barney Fife would say, "Nip it! Nip it! Nip it!"
Hebrews 12:15, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."
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7. Anger Can Make You Sick |
While you donīt want to lose control and "fly off the handle," keeping anger inside can be done only so long before it affects even your health. It has to be dealt with, and hopefully, before it explodes. You may need to confront the person you are angry with. Remember, whether the other party repents of his wrong or not, you will benefit by knowing you did the right thing. Matthew 18:15-17 gives the order of steps to take when confronting another.
Ephes. 4:26, "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place (opportunity) to the devil."
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8. Anger Causes Suffering |
Weīve all heard of people who became violently angry and in the midst of it had a heart attack or stroke. Not only does the angry person suffer for his or her anger, those around him do, too. It doesnīt have to be that way! Seek counseling or whatever you have to do to take care of your anger before it ignites into a raging fire that canīt be stopped.
Proverbs 26:20, "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth."
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9. Anger May Kill You |
Anger can cause serious physical problems, in addition to the damage it does psychologically. When in a rage, a personīs blood pressure goes up; his neck veins swell. Anger affects respiration, the heart, nervous system and muscles. Anger can kill! Learn to to control anger. Itīs not only an emotional and health issue, itīs also a spiritual issue.
Proverbs 19:19, "A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment...."
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10. Modulate Your Voice |
Research has proven that when a person is shouted at, he usually shouts back. With a little forethought, patience and practice, you can calm an angry person with your tone of voice.
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." King Solomon,
Proverbs 15:1 |
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