Can Christians Get Angry?

The worst part about running on the gym treadmill is the wall of TVs. It's nearly impossible for me to not look up and see what's going on. But nearly all of the shows infuriate me.

On one channel, there's a prosperity preacher hawking his latest end times prophecy book. On another, there's a politician telling outrageous lies. Next to that is a vapid morning talk show misleading their audience with medically dubious fads. The ads are no better!

What gets you angry? My local newspaper just ran a story on the rise of road rage incidents. How about an email from your most annoying co-worker? Maybe it's the way your spouse interrupts you, or the disrespectful comments your kids make.

The anger rises up in our chests, and like hot vomit, spews out of us in sharp words, or even worse, in physical violence. I remember one night I told my kids, with total self-satisfaction, "I'm glad I got mad at you, because it made you listen."

It wasn't until the next morning that I calmed down enough to apologize.

We see the damage that anger does to our souls, our relationships, and our polarized culture.

So how do you read James 1:19-20? It says:

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.

If we're Bible readers, we recall Ephesians 4:31, "Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice." When the Lord dealt with the petulant Jonah, he asked him, "Is it right for you to be angry?" (To be clear, it's a rhetorical question).

It seems clear: the Bible forbids us from getting angry.

But when we think God doesn't allow us to get angry, we amputate an important part of our hearts, and the consequences are tragic.

First, it damages us. Why? Because anger is an unavoidable human emotion, and believing we can't experience it makes us feel guilty and ashamed of being human.

Even as we live in denial, anger tends to come out another way: a cold shoulder, a faked smile, or a cuttingly nice remark. Pretending we aren’t angry is a denial of the truth. If we can't be honest, then we can't seek reconciliation and love.

Ultimately, if we persistently ignore the helpful warning signals that our anger is trying to send us, we can remain emotionally stunted, subject ourselves to prolonged abuse, and live with unresolved anxiety. Over time, suppressed anger can affect our physical health, too.

Second, it damages our relationship with God.

For instance, when we suppress our anger, we can get caught in a difficult cycle: we get hurt, we get angry, we feel God wants us to suppress our anger, and then (even if it's hard to admit) we get angry at God for not allowing us to get angry. All the while, we're still angry for what happened to us!

At the same time, we become blind to seeing God. If anger is always wrong, then how can God get so angry at our wickedness that he floods the earth, scatters people across it, and turns depraved cities into salt? How could he send the plagues on Egypt, bring justice to the Canaanites, and get upset when his people repeatedly turned to the exact same idolatry in the promised land?

The prophet Isaiah tells us, "Therefore the LORD’s anger burned against his people. He raised his hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still raised to strike" (Isaiah 5:25).

Is God sinning? Of course not. We see the same anger in Jesus! He got angry at the Pharisees (Mark 3:1-6) and when he cleansed the temple (John 2:13-22). Further, the Holy Spirit signed the death warrant when Ananias and Sapphira lie to the church (Acts 5:1-11).

Last of all, if anger is truly forbidden, then how can Paul say in Ephesians 4:26, "Be angry and do not sin"?

Of course, there are important difference between God's anger and ours. His anger is always holy, other-centered, and redemptive; ours is often tangled with ego and fear.

Third, suppressed anger damages our witness before a skeptical world.

Without anger, we dull our capacity to confront evil and protect the vulnerable. Our neighbors are shocked when God's people don't get angry at rapists, con men, or parents who neglect their children. When they see us shrug our shoulders, or even publicly support evil in the name of God, they're horrified.

To sum it up, if we think the Bible prohibits anger, we'll damage ourselves, our relationship with God, and our witness to our neighbors.

Thankfully, neither James, nor any other verse in the Bible, says that all anger is wrong.

Look again at these verses. James is precise: be slow to anger.

He's not outlawing a universal human emotion. He's giving wisdom about how to handle it.

It's not about the presence of anger, but the pace at which we embrace it.

Instead of reading this verse as legalists, and seeing everything through a black-and-white righteousness framework, we need to read the Scriptures with wisdom.

For instance, as we read through the Proverbs (a book of wisdom literature), we see repeated descriptions of fools. One repeated theme? Fools are quick-tempered hot heads.

If we reflect on it, that's common sense—but unfortunately, it isn't too common! For instance, have you ever aligned yourself with a politician who is known to be a quick-tempered bully? The Bible tells us that's foolish! (Check it out: Proverbs 12:16, 14:17, 14:29, 15:18, 19:19, 22:24-25, 29:11, 29:22).

Why is this kind of anger so dangerous? We've all seen that combustible fury isn't reasonable, considerate, or loving. It sets off cycles of revenge and retaliation. It justifies evil, lies, and cruelty.

But James is oriented toward a different goal: accomplishing God's righteousness.

Do you see that as the purpose of your life? If so, you seek wisdom for how, in a complex, complicated, and fallen world, to participate with God, and live righteously.

So, how do we slow down our anger and discern what's going on in our hearts?

First, we need one another. James writes to "his dear brothers and sisters." We don't have to do this by ourselves.

Second, we listen to our hearts. Is our anger self-centered, revengeful, and hasty? Is it a means of controlling others? Does it justify hurting others? Is it about protecting our comfort, power, or wealth? Or is it sorrowful and considered? Is it about protecting the vulnerable (including ourselves), seeking justice, and honoring God? Is it peace-loving and without pretense?

Third, we invite the Holy Spirit into the sacred space between stimulus and response. We don't have to immediately, and impulsively, respond to our circumstances. Instead, we can ask God to give us a wise, loving, and righteous response for each situation.

Think about Nehemiah. He is making every effort to rebuild Jerusalem, yet his efforts are nearly sabotaged by the wealthy nobles who oppressed the poor laborers. He rightly becomes "extremely angry" when he hears the reports of their wicked injustice. But then he slows down. Nehemiah tells us he "seriously considered the matter" before taking action.

So, by the time he intervenes, he has organized the confrontation so effectively that the nobles can only confess, "We will return these things and require nothing more. We will do as you say." As a result, the oppression stops, the poor are compensated, and everyone praises God! Further, Nehemiah sets the example, arranging his own governmental benefits in such a way that he avoids burdening the people (Nehemiah 5:1-19).

Nehemiah got angry! But because he was wise, his anger helped him to accomplish God's righteousness.

As you meditate on James 1:19-20, how is God prompting you?

Are you hot-headed and rash? James would remind you to slow down. Don't be a fool. Prioritize God's righteousness more than blasting everyone around you!

Are you faking niceness? Do you quietly but angrily judge Christians who get angry at injustice? Well, consider: James gets quite upset with the rich who dishonor the poor, oppress them in court, and blaspheme the name of Jesus (James 2:5-7)!

Every day, we're prompted to anger. We're surrounded by selfish people, and we can't help it ourselves. We're witnesses to evil and injustice, and God wants us to get involved and fight for justice!

Eliminating anger? Impossible.

Impulsively angry? Foolishness.

Redeeming it for God's purposes? That's the wisdom James wants to give us.

We gain this wisdom in community, as we listen to our hearts, and seek to live by the Spirit. And why do we go to all this effort? Because we want to accomplish God's righteousness.

May God give us the strength to be patient when we're slighted, and to be moved by holy anger when we seek justice for the oppressed.

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Credit: Photo from Andrea Cassani on Unsplash