ByAnger is a characteristic God placed in each person. God created man in His own image and likeness. And if even Him can sometimes get angry (as seen in the Bible), then it’s not a sin to be angry sometimes. It’s what we do when angry that will determine whether we sin or not.
Anger is not a sin. It is what we do when angry that will determine whether we will sin or not.
Tweet
Ephesians 4:26 (NKJV) says, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,”
From this verse, we are admonished not to channel our emotions in times of anger to sinful acts. If this is so, then there’s always some way God can help us get over angry situations without doing anything wrong. And this is by grace and divine wisdom, not by human intelligence.
I want to share three Biblical tips you can apply to control yourself when angry.
1. Attack the situation, not the person
Usually, it’s not the presence of a person that angers another fellow, although it happens sometimes. But in most cases, anger is triggered when a bad attitude is displayed. When this happens, most people attack the offender instead of the situation. And that is shown especially when the angry person refuses to listen to any form of explanation from the other fellow.
The first time Jesus was angry, He made a whip of cords and drew out all those selling in the temple courts [John 2:13-17]. Jesus didn’t give His disciples a reason for His action. But they remembered it had been written in the scriptures that “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” [Psalm 69:9]. Jesus didn’t attack the people. He attacked the situation. He wasn’t against people doing business but didn’t like seeing His Father’s house turned into a house of merchandise, instead of a prayer house.
When someone makes you angry, deal with the mess that person has made up, not the person. Attack the behaviour, not the person. See a bad behaviour displayed by a person as chaff to be blown away by the multitude of corrections. Good friendships are too precious to lose just because of temporary behavioural differences.
See a bad behaviour displayed by a person as chaff to be blown away by the multitude of corrections.
Tweet
2. Remember God’s instruction on forgiveness
Offence is a breeding ground for anger. However, unforgiveness nurtures angry emotions and makes them worse. Instead of harbouring the iniquity that made you angry, choose to forgive.
Sometimes, forgiveness is difficult because in many cases, we expect those who’ve offended us to come and apologize. But that wasn’t what Jesus taught.
Luke 17:3 (NKJV) says,
Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
From Jesus’ own mouth, the offended must go and rebuke the offender for his offence, not vice versa. Therefore if someone makes you angry, go and tell him his fault privately. If he accepts it, settle your differences right there. However, if he doesn’t involve others in the issue to help you out as Jesus taught (Matthew 18:15-17).
3. Sometimes, keep quiet
Before Jesus got arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed earnestly on the Mount of Olives for His Father’s will to be done concerning His impending crucifixion [Luke 22:39-44]. An angel appeared from heaven to Him and strengthened Him (Luke 22:43). From that moment till the time He was crucified, the number of words Jesus said reduced drastically. He endured a lot of pain but refused to speak frequently, even to Pilate.
Pain usually follows after anger. And sometimes, the best way to control your pain is by silent prayers and keeping your mouth shut. Why? Because the words we speak out of pain are usually terrible. Instead of speaking harsh words to another person out of anger and pain only to regret it later, choose to pray, keep your mouth shut, and trust God to help you go through the situation victoriously.
Anger is not a sin. Neither is it an uncontrollable emotion. It is manageable without involving oneself in sinful acts. I hope you learned something from these three tips on how to control yourself when angry. You’re a blessing.
If this article has been a blessing to you, consider signing up to receive weekly newsletters from us and also sharing it to bless a friend.
