It’s all the rage …

The guy at the Starbucks pounded his fist and loudly unleashed his rage at the partner across the counter from him. He wasn’t going to tolerate the travesty done to him over his coffee!

There are a lot — and let me emphasize, a lot — of angry people out there.

Anger is an emotional response, and the emotions we have in response to others are choices.

When you choose to be an angry person, you choose to be a victim.

The angry person becomes that person who looks for sleights toward them from everyone else so they can unleash their rage on others. They live in perpetual argument not only with family members and friends, but with co-workers, acquaintances, and complete strangers.

They become a slave to their anger.

James 1:20 states simply but clearly, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

Did you catch that?

God’s desire is that we live righteously. Quick reactions of anger rarely extol the righteous virtue God desires from us.

That is not to say that we should never be angry. In fact, the verse preceding the one quoted above says this, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry,” James 1:19.

The Apostle Paul gives us additional insight about anger, “And don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil,” Ephesians 4:26-27.

Quickly responding with anger eliminates the opportunity to express mercy or be gracious to others. Instead, it jumps over justice to condemnation and punishment.

Aren’t you glad God doesn’t treat us that way? He could. Check this out …

“God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day,” Psalm 7:11.

Yes, God does get angry! His anger is stirred toward sin; our anger usually isn’t sourced from a position of holiness and righteousness. But as God’s children whose lives are being transformed in holiness, it should be.

“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him,” Colossians 3:5-10.

Our responses to others should be from our new nature in Christ. Sometimes, that may include anger toward sin, but now expressed as one who is filled with the Holy Spirit and loves even his enemy. In that case, anger is no longer an ugly, hurtful rage. It may instead choose to respond by turning the other cheek, by forgiving on a multitude of occasions, expressing mercy instead of judgment or even extending something the other person doesn’t deserve — grace. Or it might become the occasion for a gentle rebuke or even a firm chastisement. But the source — and, thus, the expression — of the anger has changed.

Have you?

Have you allowed for your new nature in Christ to rule in your life so that anger doesn’t? Or is anger still raging as your style for responding to others?

Scotty