HOW MAD DO YOU GET?

     In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul wrote, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.” Anger is not always a sin. God’s anger, even His fierce anger, was cited often in the Old Testament. Jesus also became angry. “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart …” (Mark 3:5). Being like Jesus means developing the right kind of anger and controlling it, rather than trying to eliminate all anger.  We are not commanded to be angry, but we are commanded to handle our anger in a Godly way.

     Often we mask anger by saying, “My feelings are hurt.” Beware! The saying, “Anger with a selfish root always bears bitter fruit” is true. The expression of anger must be right.  Anger’s emotion easily clouds judgment to the extent that we can easily ignore truth. Then it becomes easy to overstep the bounds of right. In Cain’s anger, he refused to listen, even to God’s warnings. He murdered his brother; afterward, he lied to God, denying any knowledge of his brother’s whereabouts. The danger of anger is it can cause us to lose our self-control. That is where the sin comes in.

     So how do you behave when you’re angry? Do you throw a tantrum? Scream and holler? Stomp and kick? Throw things? Seethe and pout? Anger may occasionally be right, but such unrestrained behavior is sinful.

     What do you say when you’re angry? Do you burst out in profanity? Do you spew out insulting, hateful, and mean invectives that are remembered and torment forever the victim of your abusive speech? Do you falsely accuse those who anger you? Do you call people contemptuous and ugly names? Do you spread rumors? Anger may be right in some instances, but all such malicious speech is not. It is sinful!

     What do you do when you’re angry? When Cain was angry with Abel, he killed him. In your anger, do you also harm other people? Do you stir up strife?

     The question “How mad do you get?” is not the right question.  When we measure how mad we are, we are probably justifying our sinful response.  I don’t care how angry you get, sin is not O.K.