Day 90, Year 1 Break from the Bondage of Anger or Suppressing Anger

“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm.” (Psalm 37:8 NKJV)

“And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” (Mark 3:5 NKJV)

Some people think that following Jesus means they cannot be angry or indignant. But this is actually wrong. The second verse of today describes Jesus’ anger and grief toward those hardened their hearts in opposing for the man with a withered hand to receive His healing. Besides, it is also hard to imagine that Jesus had no indignation when cleansing the temple and driving out those who were doing business in it. Additionally, the Book of Revelation describes God pouring out His wrath in the form of tribulations upon the sinners at the end times. So in my understanding, believers need to transform our own anger into His divine anger.

In my opinion, both suppressing our righteous anger and being angry at the prosperous wicked are unbiblical. Those who forbid themselves from being angry often show no reaction to unfairness or unrighteousness. Devoid of anger, they seem never to react like Jesus when they witness corruption or unholiness in the church. ///Without righteous indignation, how could we imitate Jesus to cleanse God’s temple in time of need? Hence, those who find it difficult to be angry need to meditate on the verses about Jesus’ anger and consider what would enrage Him. In fact, His love for the temple and His people caused Him to act against the prevalence of sin within. Similarly, He would be furious at us when we condone our sins and those of others.

As mentioned previously, comparisons and jealousy among people entice lusts that could make them angry. These kinds of fury would only lead them deeper into sin. Thus, if people are bound by the lust of anger, they need to reflect on what presses their buttons and causes them to become furious when encountering certain people or situations. The key to halting this sinful anger is to deal with our wrong thoughts and attitudes. For instance, some people mistakenly associate their self-worth with particular items they consider valuable, as they feel that their own worth is not affirmed. Hence, when someone damages or throws away those items, they become furious. This misplaced anger stems from the false association of their self-worth with certain objects. But actually, this problem in us could be resolved by truly believing in Jesus and receiving His divine affirmation.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think you could learn the mindset of the Lord Jesus, and even follow His emotions to rage or to calm down?

2) How would you help someone who is quick-tempered due to their own lust?