Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Psalm 37:8 NLT
His answer to the ills of his life was to stick out his bottom false teeth. He was living with anger.
Ronnie was twice my age, but we soon became fast friends. His life had been a series of downturns. Most recently, back surgery. I had been hired to compensate for the work he couldn’t do because of his back limitations. He was on desk duty, so I became the gopher who did the heavy lifting in the warehouse.
I felt sorry for Ronnie. To be sure, he had made some bad financial decisions, but his surgery had set him back. Family members were almost non-existent—and so were friends. He borrowed from his workmates weekly—a practice that put him even further behind.
However, what stood out the most about Ronnie was his angry demeanor. I understood his frustrations. His life had been and was tough. But to stay angry all the time? His anger wasn’t an episode; it was a state of being.
I was eventually laid off, moved away, and lost track of Ronnie. Through a mutual friend, I found out he had contracted a disease and died. I asked my friend if he had changed, and he said, “He was the same ole Ronnie.” Sad.
The psalmist offers sound advice when he advises against prolonged anger. While it’s possible to be angry without sinning, doing so proves difficult. Most of our anger erupts in sinful attitudes, words, and actions. Being angry over sinful situations is permissible—and we should be as Christians—but acting in sinful ways to remedy them isn’t.
Anger is often a result of our unwillingness to forgive those who harm us. Or even to forgive God for the things we perceive Him as allowing or bringing into our lives when He could prevent them. I think deep inside, Ronnie was angry at God for his miserable life. Unforgiveness destines us to live in a perpetual state of anger. Forgiveness releases us from it.
Good anger will motivate us to use the adrenaline produced to act in beneficial ways. If we’re upset by unjust or immoral laws, we don’t shoot the lawmakers. However, we can use our rights as citizens to effect change.
Don’t live in a state of unhealthy anger. Instead, turn your anger into good actions that benefit God’s Kingdom.
-Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author. He serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net and is an instructor for the Christian PEN (professional editor’s network). Wiles is a multi-published author. His most recent book, Hurt, Hope and Healing: 52 Devotions That Will Lead to Spiritual Health, is available on Amazon. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of seven. He can be contacted at mandmwiles@gmail.com.
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