What is "Righteous Anger"?
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Q: What is "righteous anger"? How can I know whether I'm feeling that or just being a hothead?
A. I grew up believing anger was a "bad" emotion. So I've needed several years of Christian counseling even to admit I get angry, much less to learn I can express those feelings righteously! Thankfully, God's Word sets clear parameters for getting peeved.
What does God say about this?
The bad news for hotheads is that Scripture contains many more verses warning believers against blowing their cool than verses advocating such behavior. The writer of Proverbs connects anger with foolishness: "Fools quickly show that they are upset, but the wise ignore insults" (Proverbs 12:16, NCV). And the apostle Paul recommends letting our heavenly Father fight our battles: "My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: 'I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19, NCV).
Sometimes, however, God allows his people to fuss and remain faithful. Such is the case when King David furrows his brow and huffs:
God, I wish you would kill the wicked!
Get away from me, you murderers!
They say evil things about you.
Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
Lord, I hate those who hate you;
I hate those who rise up against you.
I feel only hate for them;
they are my enemies (Psalm 139:19-22, NCV).
Or when Nehemiah gets upset after learning about the wealthy Israelites' exploitation of the poor: "Then I was very angry when I had heard … these words" (Nehemiah 5:6, NASB).
What's noteworthy in these situations is that David called down curses on sworn enemies of God, and Nehemiah directed his irritation at the "haves" repressing the "have-nots." Both men were angry because of ungodly people or activities.
And Jesus expressed anger—at the Pharisees who exhibited such hard hearts (Mark 3:1-5) and at the crass commercialism that sullied the temple (Matthew 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-48)—to convey extreme displeasure over sin. Those reasons are the key to righteous anger.
How does this affect me?
As Christ-followers, we're totally appropriate getting upset over sin, too. Evils such as abuse, racism, pornography, and child sex trafficking should incense us.
But no matter how reprehensible the people or activities we're condemning, we still aren't justified to sin in our responses: "When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day" (Ephesians 4:26, NCV). Those of us with confrontational personalities might want to ask ourselves the question, Is my motive to be right or to be righteous? before ripping into the offending parties.
Such considerations also help us be pokey in getting peeved: "Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20, ESV). Instead of replying immediately, simply counting to ten before reacting usually leads to much better results in a contentious situation.
Originally published in: Today's Christian Woman, 2008, September/October, Vol. 30, Issue 5, Page 16
Related Topics:
Anger, forgiveness, Grace, Mercy, Righteousness, Temper
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Beth
Barbara, claim this promise: "If we confess our faults He is faithful and just to forgive us our faults and to CLEANSE us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. Then "go and sin no more." You are free, child. And you are loved. If you are tempted to doubt this simply repeat the promise as often as necessary and live by faith, not by the tormenting doubts of His love with which the devil wishes to cripple you. In Jesus you are free and you are strong. Nothing can touch you except by His permission. My prayers are with you.
Barbara
I HAVE BEEN VERY ANGRY RECENTALLY ,ABOUT LETTING MYSELF GETTING CAUGHT UP IN AN AFFAIR WITH MY PREACHER.HE SAYS WE ARE BOUND TOGETHER, I HAVE BEEN PRAYINGAND ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS ,BUT I STILL FEEL GUILTY AND ANGRY. WHAT DO I DO IN A CASE LIKE THIS?
dancer4thelord
Anger was given to us as an agent of CHANGE. It was because of the fall of mankind that sin entered into the expression of our emotions and sinful behavior is the result. When we feel the emtion of anger a good response is to ask ourselves "what needs to change" about this situation, relationship . We may be very surprised to learn some things about ourselves as we begin to ask this question. Anger is power and using the power God himself has given us in the proper manner is one of the ways we know we are maturing in Christ.
David Grant
We cannot use Jesus Christ as an excuse for our anger. He never got angry at anything that HAPPENED TO HIM, because his ego was never at stake. But he was very angry at social injustice. The only "good" anger comes out of love. "Being greately GRIEVED at the stubbornnes of their hearts, he look around at them in ANGER, and said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.'" Mark 3:5 The only "good" fear comes out of love. 'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.' You love God so much that you have a wholesome dread of dishonoring Him. A reverential fear (awe) of God will inspire a constant carefulness in dealing with HIS children!
Matt
There is a big difference between complancency and anger. There is no righteous anger other than Gods. You cannot become angry at adulterers or livid at perverts, it is your responsability to show them the truth not to become righteous! What throne do you sit on. Look at me, I'm getting angry with you!!! Haha, anyway. You get the point.
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