Bible Reading: Proverbs 29
” A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward” – Proverbs 29:11 (kjv)
The question of how to deal with anger in a biblical way is an important one. But it is certainly not the cookie-cutter answer many of us have heard.
Have you ever had a moment where you said something in red-hot anger only to ask yourself moments later: “How could I say that?” Sadly, I have had far too many of these moments. And today’s devotional verse calls me out as acting like a “fool” who lets anger control my words and actions.
However, I do nott think the heart of this passage is to simply suppress anger or other negative emotions. It is not about pretending like anger isn’t there. After all, psychologically speaking, shoving emotions aside does not make them go away. Instead, it creates a tangled pile that will surface and need to be dealt with later.
So, what does the Bible teach us?
Here are three ways to deal with anger biblically:
- Ask for the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). When we are angry, it is actually the quickest path to being pruned and prepared for incredible growth. And understand that we absolutely need the Holy Spirit’s power to help us get over this anger.
- Address the anger head-on by making peace with the person or situation you are angry with. Jesus teaches us that conflict resolution is actually the path to peace (Matthew 5:23-24, 18:15-17). Lashing out and attacking is not the way Christians resolve conflict. But avoiding it altogether and seething in anger is unbiblical as well.
- Ask if your anger is righteous and justified—which is sometimes the case. And if so, does it require action? Is there evil or injustice to confront? Someone who is weak to defend? If so, act! But don’t do so to give “vent to your spirit” just to make yourself feel better. Be angry, but do not sin (Eph 4:26). Righteous anger is when we align with God by being angry at what makes God angry.
Pastor Oladiran Oladipo