“Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.” (Ecc. 7:9)
Known as the angry prophet, Jonah wasn’t a man eager to fulfill God’s will. He hated the people of Nineveh, and their salvation was the last thing he wanted. So when he was commanded by the Lord to go and preach the Word of God, he grew very angry. He knew that if the people repented, God would be gracious and merciful in forgiving them. Now you’d think that a prophet of the Lord would rejoice over saved souls. But the Ninevites were very wicked, brutally cruel, and enemies of Israel. Their actions brought about feelings of such anger in Jonah that instead of wanting them spared, he wanted them crushed. And sadly, with the current state of the world, I feel myself sharing that same type of anger.
With Christianity being under constant attack, the rise in antisemitism, the war on Israel, the political turmoil in our own country, and the recent abortion legislation passed by the state of New York, I too have felt more like praying for God’s judgement instead of His forgiveness. But just like in the case of Jonah, such anger is wrong, ungodly, and hypocritical. Ezekiel 18:32 tells us, the Lord takes no delight in the death of the wicked, and neither should any child of His. I am to have a heart that longs for all to receive God’s saving grace. The same grace He offers so freely to me. And in such a heart, there is no room for ungodly anger.
We all feel angry at times, and anger in itself isn’t a sin. It’s when we act unrighteously based on that anger where we get ourselves into trouble. So how do we deal with feelings of anger and learn to overcome them before they overcome us?
When the feelings of anger surface, the first thing we need to do is pause and take a deep breath so that we can reflect instead of react. Proverbs 29:11 says, “A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back.” Taking time before we respond allows us to get control of our temper; saving us from the destructive cycle of rage and regret. It also provides the much needed moments to do as Paul instructs in 2 Corinthians 10:5, and take captive our thoughts into the obedience of Jesus before they become strongholds in our minds. Next we need to truly examine the reason for our anger. Are we hurt, are we afraid, are we frustrated? Getting to the root of the problem allows us to express the right feelings in the right ways; preventing our anger from leading us into sin. (Eph. 4:26) Finally, give it to God and let it go. Tell God everything your heart is feeling and leave it with Him. Hanging on to anger only allows it to fester into a spirit of bitterness and resentment, or to manifest itself into physical afflictions that hurt ourselves most of all.
“This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20)
What is the righteousness of God? Jonah tells us in verse 4:2 saying, “You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness.” If our goal to be more like the Lord, we need to ask ourselves the same question God asked Jonah. “Do you have good reason to be angry?” If our anger stems from social injustice or the mistreatment of others then the answer is yes. Such anger can motivate us to take action to make things right. But if our anger stems from feelings of being treated unjustly or unfairly, wanting to punish others, then no. Such anger leads to hurting others and destroyed lives.
“We cannot control how others act or respond, but we can make the changes that need to be made on our part. Overcoming a temper is not accomplished overnight. But through prayer, Bible study, and reliance upon God’s Holy Spirit, ungodly anger can be overcome. We may have allowed anger to become entrenched in our lives by habitual practice, but we can also practice responding correctly until that, too, becomes a habit and God is glorified in our response.”....gotquestions.org
