Anger is one of those emotions we defend passionately while claiming we hardly ever have it. “I am not angry,” we say loudly, with bulging eyes and trembling nostrils. At that point even the ceiling fan feels unsafe, as your wife and children hide. The Bible, thankfully, is more honest than we are. In Ephesians 4:26 we are told, “Be angry, and do not sin.” Which is very comforting. It means the problem is not that I felt angry when someone cut in front of me in traffic. The problem begins when I begin planning their future destruction. Scripture does not deny anger. It regulates it. Like a pressure cooker, anger needs a whistle, not an explosion.
Consider Nehemiah in Nehemiah 5. When he discovered the wealthy were exploiting their own people during a famine, Scripture says he was “very angry.” But what did he do? He thought it over carefully before confronting them. Notice that. Angry, yes. Reckless, no. His anger paused, reflected, and then acted with purpose. The book of Proverbs keeps nudging us gently. “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” Which means when your spouse says something sharp, the correct biblical response is not to bring up a mistake from 1997. Scripture also says it is better to be slow to anger than mighty in battle. In other words, conquering your temper is harder than conquering a city.
Try that the next time you feel like conquering a relative at a family gathering. Then comes James 1:19. “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” Most of us practise this verse in reverse. We are quick to speak, quicker to anger, and allergic to listening. If listening burned calories, we would all be slim. One of my favourite instructions though difficult to keep, is again in Ephesians. “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” This is deeply inconvenient. It means you cannot nurture your anger overnight like a pet hamster. You cannot feed it resentment pellets and wake up to find it has grown into a buffalo. And as it grows into a buffalo, I lose my sleep.
Consider Cain in Genesis 4. God actually asks him, “Why are you angry?” Imagine if every time we were furious, heaven sent a small notification asking that question. Half our anger would evaporate from embarrassment. Cain did not manage his anger. He managed his brother. Bad strategy. The Bible describes God as “slow to anger.” Slow. Not explosive. Not theatrical. Slow. If the Almighty can take a breath, perhaps we can too. So what is the biblical method? Pause. Examine. Pray. Speak gently. Forgive quickly. And if necessary, overturn a table only when it truly matters. Until then, let us try not to frighten ceiling fans, family members, or innocent motorists. After all, holy anger corrects injustice. Unholy temper just increases the blood pressure, not just of others, but yours too..!
bobsbanter@gmail.com
