May 29

“Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger” (Proverbs 29:8, NIV).

“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control” (Proverbs 29:11, NIV).

“An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins” (Proverbs 29:22, NIV).

Mike brings up a very good point: is anger ever justified? The Bible says:

“Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry— but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life” (Ephesians 4:26-27, MSG).

Jesus was obviously angry at times—such as when He drove the merchants from the temple. He told a parable that pictured God as angry with men who give excuses for refusing the invitation to His banquet (Luke 14:15-23).

I believe there is a righteous anger that should grip us when we see the rights of others being stripped from them. We should be angered when we see injustice being done to others. Anger should well up in our hearts when we see others being exploited or taken advantage of. But the common thread in all of these cases is “others.” When we get angry because of a perceived wrong done to ourselves then we should be very cautious.

A wise man keeps a tight reign on his temper. A fool “lets it fly.” Trouble is that the flesh is so deceitful! Anger is an emotion that can easily escalate out of control. We have a tendency to “overcook it.”

I think the only answer is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Only He can keep our emotions in check and channel our passions to a holy purpose.

I love you.

Bro. George