It is okay to get angry, but it’s not okay to stay angry. Some of us think that being angry is a sin, but that is simply not true. God gave us emotions, and that means there will be times when we will become angry.
But here is the thing:
There is a good and bad way of dealing with anger. Some people live the anger to spiral out of control, and in the process, they end up harming themselves and others. For a believer of Christ, you shouldn’t let this happen because you are told not to sin when angry.
Be angry, and don’t sin.” Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath, Ephesians 4:26
Why is it Important for us to Deal With Anger?
- If you do not deal with anger, you will hurt people around you.
- Anger will poison your heart.
- It will estrange your relationship with God.
- According to research, some diseases are a result of anger. So it may cause you to become sick.
So how do we deal with anger in a godly way?
Admit That You Are Angry
Some people will pretend that they are not angry when they are boiling on the inside and are just about to explode. But God does not want you to pretend that you’re not mad when you are.
So start by admitting that you are angry. It is only by doing so that you’ll be able to move forward and deal with the real issue that caused you to be mad in the first place.
Tell God That You Are Angry
One of the best ways to deal with anger is to tell God exactly how you feel. But most of us run to our fellow human beings and tell them how someone hurt us. While it is not wrong to tell your friend how you feel. It may not necessarily be helpful because you may end up talking negatively about the person that hurt you instead of dealing with the issue at hand.
Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:8
The best person to talk to when you are angry is God. He knows exactly how you feel and how to help you overcome anger. Tell him what is in your heart and ask him to help you deal with the anger.
Refuse To Remain Offended
The truth is we feel justified to remain angry when someone hurts us. So overcoming anger is not exactly easy. When our friends and family hurt us, we find ourselves reliving the conversation or the situation that led to the disagreement. It is easy for you to keep on meditating on what the person has done to you, but this will only make you angrier.
Refuse to remain offended and choose to focus on the positive things in life.
Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8
In short
We all get angry at some point in life, but we should not stay angry. When something goes wrong, and we find ourselves angry, we should deal with the anger before we go to bed instead of allowing it to get out of hand. If not dealt with, anger will make you become a bitter person. It will affect your relationship with God negatively, and you’ll end up hurting people around you.
Always admit you’re angry, tell God how you feel, ask him to remove anger from your heart, and refuse to remain offended.