Moderator
Staff Member
Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. Proverbs 29:11
This may come as a surprise to some Christian people, but the Bible teaches that the emotion of anger isn’t necessarily a sin. God Himself expressed His anger in scripture (see Psalm 7:11; Mark 3:5). And the apostle Paul made a distinction between anger and sinful anger when he wrote, “’In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26).
Godly anger—also known as righteous indignation—can motivate people to act in ways that glorify God and further His kingdom. It moves you to defend those who are being wronged or mistreated, or to stand up for a biblical principle you see being violated.
But sinful anger, the kind of anger that moves you to contend for your own selfish desires, can damage relationships, cause unneeded pain to those you love, and hurt your witness for Christ.
Life will afford you many opportunities to feel anger. But when you feel that emotion rising up within you, stop and ask yourself if the way you’re considering expressing that anger will hurt others or displease your Father in heaven. If the answer to that question is yes, then patiently hold your words in check, and choose to find a godly, healthy way to express how you feel.
This may come as a surprise to some Christian people, but the Bible teaches that the emotion of anger isn’t necessarily a sin. God Himself expressed His anger in scripture (see Psalm 7:11; Mark 3:5). And the apostle Paul made a distinction between anger and sinful anger when he wrote, “’In your anger do not sin’: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (Ephesians 4:26).
Godly anger—also known as righteous indignation—can motivate people to act in ways that glorify God and further His kingdom. It moves you to defend those who are being wronged or mistreated, or to stand up for a biblical principle you see being violated.
But sinful anger, the kind of anger that moves you to contend for your own selfish desires, can damage relationships, cause unneeded pain to those you love, and hurt your witness for Christ.
Life will afford you many opportunities to feel anger. But when you feel that emotion rising up within you, stop and ask yourself if the way you’re considering expressing that anger will hurt others or displease your Father in heaven. If the answer to that question is yes, then patiently hold your words in check, and choose to find a godly, healthy way to express how you feel.
