Biblical Advice About Managing Anger
By Maurice E. Wagner, Th.M.,Ph.D.
Secular Psychology insists that anger is a good emotion, for it gets things done. They caution against violence, however. Secular Psychology is basically atheistic. Its concept of anger seems to have invaded the Christian church, for we who are Christian are seldom told from the pulpit that anger, even a little anger, is a natural reaction, but it must be immediately overcome, or we will be sinning against God (Eph. 4:25, 27) and giving the devil an advantage in our Christian life. Anger is an emotion that sets God aside and presents oneself as superior to God, for in our anger we carelessly implore God to damn our enemy to hell. This attitude flies in the face of the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Anger is an emotion of the soul expressed by feelings of anger in the body. Hostility is the unfriendly attitude that is expressed by the anger emotion. By nature, Romans 8:5-8 tells us, that by nature, our sinful nature inherited from Adam (Rom. 5:12) is hostile toward God, and our sinful nature is often expressed by anger at Jesus Christ, using His precious Name in vain when angry.
These thirteen lessons attempt to throw light on the attitude toward anger expressed in God’s Word. We are commanded to get rid of all forms of anger (Col. 3:8). A rhetorical question is just this: How can we expect the blessing of God’s leading when we disregard such plain instruction, and assume the attitude of Psychology that a “little anger” is all right. It always amazes me to see how such a little pill for a person can cause a radical change in how that person feels, especially if it is a pain pill, or a tranquilizer. Another type of little pill can destroy a person’s life.
By Maurice E. Wagner, Th.M.,Ph.D.
Secular Psychology insists that anger is a good emotion, for it gets things done. They caution against violence, however. Secular Psychology is basically atheistic. Its concept of anger seems to have invaded the Christian church, for we who are Christian are seldom told from the pulpit that anger, even a little anger, is a natural reaction, but it must be immediately overcome, or we will be sinning against God (Eph. 4:25, 27) and giving the devil an advantage in our Christian life. Anger is an emotion that sets God aside and presents oneself as superior to God, for in our anger we carelessly implore God to damn our enemy to hell. This attitude flies in the face of the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Anger is an emotion of the soul expressed by feelings of anger in the body. Hostility is the unfriendly attitude that is expressed by the anger emotion. By nature, Romans 8:5-8 tells us, that by nature, our sinful nature inherited from Adam (Rom. 5:12) is hostile toward God, and our sinful nature is often expressed by anger at Jesus Christ, using His precious Name in vain when angry.
These thirteen lessons attempt to throw light on the attitude toward anger expressed in God’s Word. We are commanded to get rid of all forms of anger (Col. 3:8). A rhetorical question is just this: How can we expect the blessing of God’s leading when we disregard such plain instruction, and assume the attitude of Psychology that a “little anger” is all right. It always amazes me to see how such a little pill for a person can cause a radical change in how that person feels, especially if it is a pain pill, or a tranquilizer. Another type of little pill can destroy a person’s life.
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