What are we to do about our anger? What are the rules about anger for the Christian?
A1 What is anger?
B1 A response of displeasure
C1 Many understand anger to be a response to a threat.
C2 But in reality seems to be more a response to one's standard of life--their own personal rules, morality, and beliefs.
C3 May be calculated as a manipulation.
C4 May be suppressed, which can lead to other problems.
B2 Physical effects
C1 Usually documented are physical effects as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.
C2 The face shows a distinctive red color, narrowed eye brows, piecing stare,, clenched teeth, and straight lips (if not curled).
C3 Sometimes the only expression may be in the piercing eyes.
C4 There are postures and other body language signs as clenched fists, fighting stance, quick movements, etc.
C5 Sometimes there is physical aggression as fighting, verbal outburst, or destructive behavior as vandalism or destruction of property.
B3 Emotional effects
C1 An outpouring of epinephrine and norepinephrine.
C2 Depression, remorse, guilt, shame, and alienation
B4 Others
C1 Anger may be controlled and calculating.
C2 Anger may be a rage of self destructive behavior.
C3 Judgment and insight are usually suppressed.
C4 Anger may come from misconceptions, misunderstanding, and a response to past triggers.
B5 Types (1)
C1 Passive
D1 Dispassion (showing little or no response as shrug, shutting the eyes as if asleep, or doodling, etc.)
D2 Evasiveness (walking away, turning the back, ignoring, etc.)
D3 Defeatism (setting up others for failure, passive aggression, etc.)
D4 Psychological manipulation
D5 Secretive behavior
D6 Self blame
C2 Aggressive
D1 Bullying
D2 Destructiveness
D3 Grandiosity
D4 Hurtfulness (hurting others feelings)
D5 Manic behavior
D6 Selfishness
D7 Threats
D8 Unjust blaming
D9 Unpredictability
D10 Revenge
A2 What are the rules?
B1 Don't have anger leading to murder. (Exodus 21:14,
B2 Don't make God angry with you.
C1 Disbelief (Zechariah 7:12, Nehemiah 9:29-30, Mark 16:14)
C2 Disobedience (Deuteronomy 4:21, Psalms 7:11)
C3 Making a vow to God and not keeping it (I'm sorry I just made a mistake.) (Ecclesiastes 5:6)
C4 Stopping or "deprograming" children from believing in God, praying, or Bible reading/studying. (Mark 10:14)
C5 Being a hypocrite. (Luke 13:15)
B3 Don't make your spouse jealous (Proverbs 6:34)
B4 Don't give the wicked what they want. (Proverbs 11:23). They wicked want more evil.
B5 Don't make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. (Don't make friends with people who have hot, violent tempers. You might learn their habits and not be able to change. (Proverbs 22:24-25, GNB92)
B6 When we are angry, we lose insight and judgment. We then make stupid decisions and do stupid things that we are later sorry for. (Proverbs 14:17)
B7 When we are angry, we make the situation worse. It will only escalate. (Proverbs 29:22).
B8 Anger leads to arguments. (Psalm 37:8, Proverbs 15:18, Proverbs 29:22)
A3 How to handle anger
B1 A gift to the angry person. Give this in private otherwise it may make the angry person angrier as if you are trying to show them up. Consider the gift from Abigail to David. 1 Samuel 2:2-28
B2 Keep calm with an angry person especially if they are a government official (police, etc.) or your boss. (Ecclesiastes 10:4)
B3 Do not go to bed angry. (Ephesians 4:26)
B4 Do not make your children angry. (Ephesians 6:4)
B5 Listen for a long time and be slow to get angry (take time to really understand someone and what they are saying before becoming angry). (Proverbs 29:8, James 1:19)
B6 Pray. (1 Timothy 2:8)
B7 Speak to the angry person in a calm, quiet way. (Proverbs 15:1)
Take some time to think deeply what you are doing, as in do not plot revenge (Romans 12:19). It is better to suffer than take revenge. (Proverbs 4:4)
B8 Forgive. (Matthew 6:14) Forgiveness is not that the offender gets away with something but rather it is placed in God's hands who will deal with it correctly. Hopefully the offender will repent and ask God (and you) for forgiveness.
B9 Love as in being nice to the angry person. You might not succeed in helping them or even calming them down, but you have gone the second mile. (Proverbs 10:12, Proverbs 27:9, James 4:1)
B10 Leave the area. (Proverbs 14:7)
B11 We need to express our anger, but it must be done with self-control and when the rush of adrenalin is gone. Sit down with someone and talk about it. We need to listen to the difficulties of others.
B12 Not take it personally. (Proverbs 19:11)
B13 Even worldly philosophy points out. (2)
A4 What can we be angry at?
B1 The things that make God angry.
C1 Returning evil for good. (Romans 2:4)
C2 Thinking that our anger is righteous. (James 1:19-20)
C3 Revenge. We are to treat our enemy nicely. (Romans 12:19-21)
C4 Bearing grudges instead of forgiving. (Leviticus 19:18)
C5 Not forgiving those who ask for forgiveness. (Matthew 18:32-34)
C6 Worshipping idols (basically an idol is anything we look to for ultimate authority). (Exodus 32:19)
C7 Leaving/denying God. (Hebrews 3:12)
B2 Dishonoring God (Exodus 20:7)
C1 Who He is.
C2 What He does.
C3 What He decides (His decisions/judgments).
C4 What He says (the Scriptures in their plain, normal sense).
C5 What He promises.
C6 What He labels evil or good. When we call evil good and good evil, we are dishonoring God.
C7 His name.
C8 His character traits.
A5 Sources:
B1 (1) ANGER, 12 February 2015, Wikipedia Authors, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anger, Accessed 12 February 2015
B2 (2) THE DOWNSIDE OF ANGER, 1 July 2003, Hara Estroff Marano, https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200307/the-downside-anger, Accessed 12 February 2015
A6 Links and other opinions
B2 http://www.gotquestions.org/anger.html
