The Problem of Anger

"Anger is a thief of precious moments", a writer has said. It steals them, and then walks away, leaving us regretful, ridiculous, and with a tremendous debt to pay off.

However, anger is more than that. It doesn't just rob us of precious moments, because life is more than a collection of precious moments. The great problem of anger is pointed out in James 1:20: "For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God".

A man possessed by anger is blinded, his thoughts are altered, his good judgment is disturbed, reality is distorted; men lose their dignity, circumstances are a mere stage for a runaway horse to show off.

Moses was separated from the land for which he dreamed many years, because of a strange outburst of his meek character. Samson often fell into such fits, and even the apostle Paul was not exempt from it. And if not, let it be said of the high priest Ananias, whom he treated as a "whitewashed wall" and announced to him the judgment of God (Acts 23:1-5). But he put a stop to it, and quickly backed down. Then, in one of his epistles, he says: "Be angry, but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger" (Eph. 4:26).

The problem with anger is that it prevents God's righteousness from working. And if righteousness does not work, then neither will grace (Rom. 5:21). In such a case, God's power in the Christian's life is neutralized.

The Lord said: "Blessed are the meek", and "Blessed are the peacemakers". He also said: "Whosoever is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou fool, shall be liable to the council: and whosoever shall say to him, Thou fool, shall be liable to hell fire".

Every Christian should deeply review this matter, because anger, as a habitual exercise, brings great harm to the testimony of a child of God. But, as for all things, there is in Christ a remedy for the problem of anger.

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