Pastor Aaron Perdue

If you’ve wondered, “What does the Bible say about anger?” and how to handle it, I’ll show you a faith-based approach to managing your emotions. We live in a culture where people often allow their emotions to dictate their actions without restraint or self-control. Although that might be the “norm” around you, the Bible has the answers for our lives and doesn’t affirm being ruled by our emotions.

First, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines anger as “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism.” Maybe you’ve been around some very strong displays of displeasure and antagonism, even from Christians. You probably noticed that when you are around anger, it affects your physical body by raising your blood pressure, affecting your hormones, and increasing your muscle tension. Anger affects us, whether we are the ones exhibiting anger or someone around us is experiencing it, but we can learn to use our faith to manage its effects.

Anger is an age-old problem. Let’s look at some biblical examples of people who struggled with anger and what resulted from it. Nehemiah would have fit right in with today’s angry taxpayers, upset with the economic injustice of exorbitant interest rates and famine-induced mortgages on their land. Nehemiah was angry at the Israelites for not following God’s commandments about how to deal financially with other Israelites. His anger led to a confrontation with the people, which resulted in the Israelites repenting and restoration taking place between their fellow countrymen. Nehemiah didn’t use his anger for destruction, but rather it served as a catalyst for reform and restitution (Nehemiah 5:6–13). We can respond to someone’s anger by examining ourselves and checking to see if there is anything for us to forgive, ask forgiveness, or reform.

Jonah had a different reason for his anger. When Jonah finally obeyed and preached God’s message to the Ninevites, he became angry when God showed mercy to them. God had forgiven and shown mercy when Jonah sinned, yet he resented God forgiving and showing mercy to his enemies. Jonah revealed that the root of his anger was his desire for God to punish the Ninevites, despite having received mercy from God himself (Jonah 4:1–4). Anger often exposes pride and selfishness that we can take to the Lord and humble ourselves.

Now, let’s address some questions about anger.

1. Is anger a sin in the Bible?

People often ask, “Is anger a sin in the Bible?” Yes and no. Yes, when anger is destructive and motivated by pride or vengeance, that goes against God’s command to love. We are told to put anger out of our lives (Ephesians 4:30). But Ephesians 4:26–27 tells us, “Be angry, and do not sin.” Therefore, there are times when anger can be righteous or incited by injustice. Moses shows us examples of both of these types of anger. He showed frustrated anger when he was irritated by the Israelites and struck the rock to obtain water, rather than speaking to it (Numbers 20:8–11). He showed righteous anger when he returned from getting the stone tablets from God and saw the Israelites dancing around a golden calf they had made while he was gone (Exodus 32:19).

2. What does the Bible teach about righteous anger?

Many believers ask, “What does the Bible teach about righteous anger?” Righteous anger gets angry at what angers God. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, suppress the truth in unrighteousness” Romans 1:18. When we accept Jesus Christ’s offer of forgiveness of sins, we no longer are the source of God’s anger—hallelujah! Jesus showed righteous anger when he overturned the tables of the money changers in the temple (Matthew 21:12–13). When you feel anger rising within you because of disregard for the unborn or the injustice done towards people doing what is right, you can apply that energy towards bringing God’s love and doing what you can to change the situation.

3. How to handle anger as a Christian?

If you’re wondering, “How to handle anger as a Christian,” fortunately, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, He lives in us, and we get a Helper, the Holy Spirit, who will help us with faith-based responses to deal with anger.

• Draw near to God: The more time spent in God’s presence, the less time for anger. Through prayer and praise, you can draw near to Jesus, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).
• Self-check: Check your own heart for unforgiveness toward others. When you remove unforgiveness, replace it with love that sees and treats people the way Jesus would (Luke 6:27–28).
• Meditate on Scripture: The Bible has a lot to say about anger, so follow the godly wisdom available to you. Learn verses that encourage you and speak them when tempted to respond in anger (Matthew 4:1–11).
• Pray and respond with a gentle answer: When we pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18), we can give a gentle answer that will silence anger (Proverbs 15:1). With the help of the Holy Spirit, you can respond with love, rather than anger.

To help you draw near to God and meditate on Scripture, check out the free download sermons and teachings available at charischristiancenter.com.