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Anger Danger

Text: "The wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20).

 

  1. Definition

    1. Anger, a momentary negative emotion, is one letter short of danger

    2. Aggression is a verbal assault or violent physical attack raged by anger;

    3. Hostility or grudge is a chronic state of anger;

    4. Hatred is the most intense form of settled anger; vituperation is venomous language used to express deep-seated anger and ill will.

    5. Not everybody has a short fuse, usually at one time or other everyone flies off the handle; because anger is classically a way of letting off internal steam or venting.

  2. Causes

    1. Anger is generally a reflexive retort to some sort of agony or anguish; it mostly happens when one feels unwell, rejected, dejected, or threatened.

    2. Thoughts that initiate and ignite anger include wrong decisions, suspicions, failures, assumptions, frustrations, unfulfilled desires, flawed assessments, erroneous evaluations or misinterpretations of circumstances that make you think someone is trying to hurt, harm, make loss of, or spoil your opportunities.

    3. In fact, the secret is, nobody can make you angry except yourself!

  3. Analysis

    1. Anger influences your manner of thinking, attitude, behavior, and character; it ruins the highly valuable human relations and the over all quality of your most precious life. Modern psychology teaches about many kinds of anger.

    2. But it fundamentally classifies anger into three prominent categories – Anger, Aggression, and Hostility. Paul precisely expressed this lucid analysis long ago:

    3. Anger - "Be angry"

    4. Aggression - "Do not sin"

    5. Grudge or Hostility - "Do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26).

  4. Influence

    1. Anger simply breeds quarrels if you don’t heed the creed.

    2. "A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but a fool’s wrath is heavier than both of them. Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy?" (Proverbs 27:3, 4).

    3. "Anyone who burns with anger must pay for it. If you save him, you will have to do it again" (Proverbs 19:19).

    4. "But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish he is" (Proverbs 14:29).

    5. "Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured; and holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intention of throwing it at someone else; but you are the one who gets burned.”

 

Ten Biblical Illustrations of

The Danger of Anger

  1. Cain: "But he wasn't pleased with Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry. His face was sad" (Genesis 4:5). Cain’s envy and anger led to hatred which climaxed in a progressive sin, the gruesome first murder and fratricide in the history of the world!

  2. Naaman: "But Naaman went away angry … So he turned and went away. He was burning with anger" (2 Kings 5:11, 12). Naaman’s wrath took possession of him and he rejected the prescription for healing and blessing. Anger simply robs the opportunities!

  3. Uzziah: "Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar" (2 Chronicles 26:19). The king was struck with leprosy and had to live out his days in isolation!

  4. Haman: "Haman noticed that Mordecai wouldn't get down on his knees… give Haman any honor. So Haman burned with anger; but he had found out who Mordecai's people were. So he decided not to kill just Mordecai. He also looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai's people…. He wanted to kill all of them everywhere in the kingdom of Xerxes" (Esther 3:5, 6). "And they used the pole Haman had gotten ready for Mordecai. Then the king's anger calmed down" (Esther 7:10). Typically anger boomerangs!

  5. Moses: "… Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing and Moses' anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain" (Exodus 32:19). After striving for forty years to reach the promised land, Moses was denied entry because he had struck a rock in vexation instead of talking to the rock to get water (Numbers 20:11-12 & Deuteronomy 34). God did not spare him, even though he was very meek above all the men on the earth! (Numbers 12:3; Matthew 5:5).

  6. Balaam: "When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam was angry and struck the donkey with his stick" (Numbers 22:27). The Lord had to open the donkey’s mouth to teach Balaam a lesson!

  7. King Saul: "Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him …… Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him down; so Jonathan knew that his father had decided to put David to death. Then Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat food" (1 Samuel 20:30-34). Saul was outrageous and planned to kill David and tried to kill his own son, Jonathan. Anger makes man worse than savage beast!

  8. David: "Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, as the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die" (2 Samuel 12:5). The king pronounced ghastly judgment on himself without realizing it!

  9. Older brother: "The older brother became angry. He refused to go in. So his father went out and begged him" (Luke 15:28). He refused to go in and was lost. This kind of attitude may block the flow of God's blessings in your life too.

  10. Jews: "When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him ... At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him … he fell asleep" (Acts 7:54-59). In stead of repenting, they torn up with seething anger against a preacher of repentance and they grind their teeth with such a hissing sound and a hateful screwing of the mouth.

 

Ten Precepts to Practice

To control your anger, practice the following:

  1. Do not sin: "be angry but do not sin" (NIRV - Psalm 4:4; Ephesians 4:26). “… not soon angry no striker" (Titus 1:7). "When Jesus saw this, He was angry. He said to his disciples, "Let the little children come to me. Don't keep them away. God's kingdom belongs to people like them" (Mark 10:14). "Jesus looked around at them in anger. He was very upset because their hearts were stubborn. Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, and his hand was as good as new" (NIRV – Mark 3:5). Indeed, Jesus set an ideal example by helping them in these two indignant instances.

  2. Don’t be angry without a cause: "But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment" (KJV – Matthew 5:22). "Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm" (NASB – Proverbs 3:30).

  3. Don’t hold a grudge: "… Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (NIRV - Ephesians 4:26). "… Anger lives in the hearts of foolish people" (NIRV - Ecclesiastes 7:9). "You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD" (NKJV – Leviticus 19:17,18). "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (NASB - Romans 12:19-21).

  4. Don’t stir up: "A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger" (NIRV – Proverbs 15:1). "Those who make fun of others stir up a city. But wise people turn anger away" (NIRV - Proverbs 29:8). "A man who burns with anger stirs up fights" (NIRV – Proverbs 15:18). "If you churn cream, you will produce butter. If you twist a nose, you will produce blood. And if you stir up anger, you will produce a fight" (NIRV – Proverbs 30:33). "An angry man stirs up fights. And a person who burns with anger commits many sins" (NIRV - Proverbs 29:22). "Do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (NIRV – Ephesians 6:4).

  5. Don’t argue: "I want men everywhere to pray. I want them to lift up holy hands. I don't want them to be angry when they pray. I don't want them to argue" (NIRV –1Timothy 2:8).

  6. Don’t associate: "Don't be a friend with anyone who burns with anger. Don't go around with a person who gets angry easily. You might learn his habits. And then you will be trapped by them" (NIRV - Proverbs 22:24,25). "Love … does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5).

  7. Slow to anger: "… 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" (NASB – James 1:19, 20). "Don't become angry quickly …" (NIRV - Ecclesiastes 7:9). "…not soon angry.." (Titus 1:7). "Anyone who gets angry quickly does foolish things" (NIRV – Proverbs 14:17). "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city" (NASB - Proverbs 16:32). "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly" (NASB – Proverbs 14:29). "… But the slow to anger calms a dispute" (NASB – Proverbs 15:18).

  8. Control: "A foolish person lets his anger run wild. But a wise person keeps himself under control" (NIRV - Proverbs 29:11). "Like a city that is broken into and without walls, is a man who has no control over his spirit" (NASB – Proverbs 25:28).

  9. Stay cool: "Don't give up your job when your boss gets angry. If you stay calm, you'll be forgiven" (CEV - Ecclesiastes 10:4).

  10. Forgive & Love: "Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing" (NASB – Psalms 37:8). "But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths" (NIRV - Colossians 3:8). "Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred; be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done" (NIRV - Ephesians 4:31). "Be loving in everything you do" (1 Corinthians 16:14).

Are you angry?

  1. If you can combat anger, you will easily conquer your internal enemy. You must always be in a position to pay attention and realize the others’ viewpoint.

  2. Sometimes you might be truthful from your perspective but there could be several reasons why someone is doing something that aggravates your anger, besides intentionally bickering or trying to antagonize you. Learn and practice to transmit your angry feelings in a mellow manner, with an attitude of respect, without blaming or attacking others.

  3. The great Greek philosopher and father of modern science, Aristotle, said: "Anybody can become angry, that is easy; but to be angry with the right person, and to the right degree, and at the right time, and for the right purpose, and in the right way, that is not within everybody's power, which is not easy". Does the question, which the Lord posed to Cain in Genesis 4:6 – "why are you angry?" – apply to you?

 

The ideas for this sermon came from an article by P. I. Sabbathi; sabbathi@gmail.com

 


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