Saturday, February 26, 2011

Controlling your anger

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.” Proverbs 29:11
It’s not wrong to be angry. Jesus got angry with how obtuse the Pharisees were towards the things of God, and with those who were seeking to make a profit off people who simply wanted to worship God by selling things in the temple. So the sin is not in being angry. Rather, it’s what we do when we are angry, that can be sin – if we are angry for the wrong reason, or if we let it get out of control. Another point to note is that Jesus was never angry about what people did to or said about Him. He was only angry when people were being hindered from coming to God.
In the New Testament, we read, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires” (Jas. 1:19-20). There is such a thing as righteous anger, which Jesus displayed, but when we get angry it can seldom be called ‘righteous anger’.
Every day, there will be something or someone that winds us up and gives us opportunity to vent our anger. But the wise thing to do is control it.

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