When is anger righteous, and when is it not?

[Dak]

When is anger righteous, and when is it not?

I'm asking because I have some anger issues. And I need to know when it's okay to be angry (for the right reasons), and when it's time to control my temper. (Because if I don't control my anger when it needs to be controlled, I'm afraid that I just might do something I will later regret.)

My heart and mind are peaceful most of the time. I'm a deep person and I'm slow to anger, and I also abide in God's love and peace.

Sometimes, however... I feel seething anger within me -- like when my father refuses to do things that a father should do for his family. And sometimes also, situations arise that simply trigger my temper -- like the irresponsible tricycle driver this morning that nearly cost me and my mother an accident while I was driving the motorcycle.

And when I'm angry I tend to be vocally loud and vocally hurtful. And because I don't "lose my mind" (yet) when this happens, my words and my actions tend to be more hurtful, because they are thought-out and well-reasoned.

Yes, I'm not physically violent, but I feel that if I don't do something about this problem right now, I just might become like that someday, that is, physically violent. (This morning I had found myself imagining beating the guy, and my heart felt dark....)

So these are my questions and my situation.

But before you answer, consider these:

First, this seed of violence within me is a character flaw that God has already revealed to me, and I recognize that I need to eradicate it in my life.

And second, some of this seething anger I sometimes feel comes from God himself, and not just from that seed of violence. For I have shared God's pains, and his joys... so why not his anger also? And I especially feel this particular kind of anger when I'm looking at Christians who have betrayed their Lord, and also at the servants of satan...

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[kwikphilly]

Blessings Dak,

    There are so  many things that we face everyday as Christians that you would think would be in such opposition to everything that is likened to God that it would give one a sort of entitlement to righteous wrath(or anger).....but I think not,for vengeance is to be left for God(that cools me down very quickly)...... I will give you a little example:Someone has done me a great injustice that will inevitably cost me my home,I have even tried to rationalize with this person,forgiven her and did all I could do to give her the opportunity to "do the right thing" and she refuses to do so.....when I think of this persons eternal fate and her facing Gods wrath I can just feel sadness,not anger....what is our anger really about,we must ask ourselves,living in such a temporal world?Who are we really angry at?Jesus told us to hate the sin & not the sinner............Dak,I do not believe there is much excuse for any of the anger that may rise up within our hearts & minds.

    Before Jesus transformed me into the person that I am today I would try to justify my anger or even hatred as being righteous & not "self" righteous,I am not saying that I am not ever tempted by the spirit of anger these days but I do recognize this enemy more often  than not.......There is little that a person can do to make another angry that is not caused by the enemy and so they are in need of prayer,in need of Jesus........does that not turn your anger into sorrow?The key to knowing when anger has the righteousness of God in it is not to react to a given situation but to seek direction of the Holy Spirit first,not always easy,but praying for the heart & mind of Christ will help in every situation.

     I do hope that these words are a comfort to you & will encourage you to ask Jesus to help you to surrender every emotion to Him,if & when there is a time for a righteous anger you would not have to question it if it indeed was approved by God......

                                                                                                                                                  With love in Christ-Kwik

[Dak]

Thanks, Sis. Your answers are on my mind.

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[kwikphilly]

God bless you my Brother!

         Amen,let us continue to pray for each other as we have yet so much to learn........we will do well together & with Jesus as our Head!

 

                                                                                                             With much love,in Christ-Kwik

[other one]

When is anger righteous, and when is it not?

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My question is what is the difference?   Either case ends up with the same outcome physically in the now.   God may well understand your anger if it's righteous, but he will still hold you responsible for your actions.....    In either case it has the same physical and psychological things attached to it.

 

So it's truly something that you need to get a grip on before Satan uses it to do you harm.    Righteous anger can actually be more dangerous because it gives you the feeling that it's ok and you won't tend to deal with it the way you should.  I've never had or read about or heard any situation filled with anger that had a good ending maybe with the exception of Jesus turning over the money changers tables.....   but then again he has a bit more authority and a whole lot more control than we do.

[Dak]

When is anger righteous, and when is it not?

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My question is what is the difference? Either case ends up with the same outcome physically in the now. God may well understand your anger if it's righteous, but he will still hold you responsible for your actions..... In either case it has the same physical and psychological things attached to it.

So it's truly something that you need to get a grip on before Satan uses it to do you harm. Righteous anger can actually be more dangerous because it gives you the feeling that it's ok and you won't tend to deal with it the way you should. I've never had or read about or heard any situation filled with anger that had a good ending maybe with the exception of Jesus turning over the money changers tables..... but then again he has a bit more authority and a whole lot more control than we do.

The difference is if your anger is truly righteous, then it is a form of Godly motivation. It means that you care. And it means that God is on your side.

I haven't yet read much of the OT prophets, but didn't some of then become angry too when dealing with the sinful Israel? One example that readily comes to my mind is the prophet Nathan when he confronted David about his sins of murder and adultery. (2 Samuel 12:1-15) Wasn't Nathan angry with David? He was speaking the word of God to David, yes, but surely he too had felt that same anger.

Therefore, my question. When is anger righteous, and when is it not?

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[Dak]

Anyway, I have to sleep for a few hours. I'll come back later. Thanks for your answer, other one.

[Guest man]

Anger is such a negative emotion. It robs ones ability to discern, so that anger that may start out as righteous anger quickly turns to personal anger. I believe righteous anger is reserved for those who have complete control over their faculties. 

 

The Lord tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. It's really hard to love someone if you're harboring anger toward that person. James puts it this way.

 

James 1

19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

 

 

I've had anger issues in the past. My anger became so out of control that it cost me 2 marriages and 4 children. I used to blame the breakups on the infidelity of my spouse, but in all honesty, it was my anger that drove them to it. When I look back on things, I wouldn't have wanted to live with me either. My anger made their lives miserable and destroyed the relationship I had with my children. 

 

As for my anger, it took a lot of soul searching and prayer to get to the point where I now say, "It doesn't matter". I still get angry from time to time but I'm able to recognize that emotion and immediately let it go and say to myself, "It doesn't matter". Unless I'm directly involved in the situation, my anger does nothing but cause me to harbor resentment toward something I have no control over. Solomon puts it like this in Ecclesiastes.

 

Ecclesiastes 7

9Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

 

 

When is anger righteous and when is it not? I honestly don't know. The lord tells us to remove the plank from our eye so that we can see clearly, but whenever I remove the one plank, another plank moves in to take it's place. Because of my issues with anger in the past, I don't believe I will ever get to the place where my anger can be called righteous. That line is too fine and my sight is too imperfect for me to see it. 

[rebbell]

The Word says

Anger does not work the righteousness of God

God bless

[Dak]

Thanks man. You've given me a lot to think about. I will esp. meditate on this:

I believe righteous anger is reserved for those who have complete control over their faculties.

So it might boil down to whether or not I want or need to become worthy of the righteous anger of God, huh? Well, perhaps the main reason God has been giving me this anger-trials is that he wants my weaknesses exposed, so that they can be dealt with right now, while I'm still young. And so that I can start working on having complete control of myself, and therefore become worthy someday to be a vessel of God's anger, like the Prophet Nathan. This is a very high calling, man, and I have to ask God to make sure if he really wants me to take this path.... And I'll not be surprised if he says yes. *sigh*

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