Anger – Good And Bad

Issues – November 2019 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Anger – Good And Bad

God tells us in His Word, “Be angry and do not sin” (Eph. 4:26 ESV ). He would not tell us to be angry if it were always sinful! However, we do often sin when we become angry. Therefore God said, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (vv.26-27). As we dwell on what angers us, unwanted pressures often build up. The devil will then make use of them toward his wishes. God tells us that with the help of impartial believers (see Mt. 18:15-16) we are to resolve any problem we have with another Christian.

Good Anger
God’s anger is always good anger. He becomes angry when idolatry is practiced, knowing the harm it brings to His people. Therefore, He gave warning to Israel as they were about to enter the Promised Land. God, in His mercy, would visit upon them corrective tribulation if they practiced idolatry. It was His desire that it might go well with them and their children, that they might prolong their days in that land that the LORD their God was giving to them (Dt. 4:40).

Good anger can make things better. Dr. James Averill made a study of angers in a small New England city, and to his surprise such expressions often did not make bad matters worse. Instead, they often “resolved ... tensions!” 1 Why? An angry response could reveal to offenders a fault of which they were unaware. An angry response may then lead to constructive steps to resolve a problem.

The prophet Nathan made good use of David’s anger against an evil of his, of which he was guilty but still unaware. Nathan told a story about a man who had done something similar to what David had done, and “David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man ... because he had no pity” (2 Sam. 12:5-6). Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” (v.7), and then item by item he showed how David’s behavior was like that of the man in the story. The good result of David’s anger was repentance! David responded, “I have sinned against the LORD” (v.13). We see how repentant David was in Psalm 51.

To get good results from our anger it should be brief, like that of God, whose “anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime” (Ps. 30:5). We should not store up our anger, let the sun go down on it or give the Devil an opportunity.

Satan will often use our stored-up anger to get us to try to avenge ourselves, contrary to God’s command. God said, “Never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God” (Rom. 12:19). He also said, “Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil” (Ps. 37:8).

Bad Anger
While there is such a thing as good anger, anger as a rule is not a good thing. God said, “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath” (v.8). He also said, “Overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21). We are to be imitators of God who, although offended, “restrained His anger often and did not stir up all His wrath” (Ps. 78:38). When anger leads to a desire for revenge – as bad anger often does – it usually has a goal of hurting the other person or getting even. The most effective way of dealing with anger is leaving vengeance with the Lord, for He promised, “I will repay” (Rom. 12:19). Scripture reminds us, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

Let us avoid being overly sensitive, for we are happier without strife and contention. God warned us that “a hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention” (Prov. 15:18). Also, how we speak is as important as what we say, for a “soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (v.1). Wisdom “makes one slow to anger, and it is ... glory to overlook an offense” (19:11). A notoriously bad phrase to use when we are angry is: “The trouble with you is ...!”

We have an excellent example of bad anger in the early history of mankind (see Gen. 4:1-13). Cain “was very angry” with his brother Abel “and killed him” (vv.5,8). God answered Cain, “Why are you angry?” (v.6). We don’t know what relationship the brothers had with each other. We do know that Abel knew that a lamb offering was God’s desire, and by doing so God testified that Abel was righteous. The problem for Cain was that he wanted to do things his own way even though a lamb was available. God had reminded Cain, “a sin-offering lieth at the door” (JND note for v.7).

Another scriptural example of bad anger is that of Simeon and Levi, who tricked the Hivites into incapacitating themselves by circumcision and then killed them (see Gen. 34:1-29). We know that bad anger was involved because Jacob prophesied, “Simeon and Levi are brothers ... cursed by their anger” (49:5,7).

Yes, there are both good and bad angers, but we should not be quick to justify our anger by labeling it “righteous indignation.” We may be in a bad mood or just reacting to one of our pet peeves. As one has said, “Starting the contention is easy – channeling it to useful ends ... is harder.” 2

ENDNOTES
1. Averill, James; The Atlantic, “Why Are We So Angry?” Jan-Feb. 2019; p.65
2. Duhigg, Charles; The Atlantic, ibid., p.68

By Alan H. Crosby