For a long time, experts believed that humans only experienced six basic emotions, anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise. Now experts agree that there are 27 different basic emotions humans experience. Surprisingly out of that list of 27 different emotions, anger, was not present. The experts left out anger because they said it is always the result of another emotion coming through. Anger cannot be a primary emotion; it is always a causality of another emotion. You may be angry because you were hurt, betrayed, forgotten, or scared. There are a thousand reasons why you may be angry and until you get to the root of it you will live with that anger as it grows deeper and deeper into the soil of your soul.
Once you get to the root of the problem you will find you are not angry at all.
Maybe the truth is, you’re jealous.
You’re confused.
You’re nervous.
You’ve been let down.
But you’re not angry, not at your core.
A lot of people hold on to anger because it takes vulnerability to expose what is affecting them deep down. This is no easy task, sometimes it can take years of therapy but the point is that you are working towards being free of the anger that has such a strong grip on you. We can not control how people treat us or what they say about us but we can control the way we react to that treatment.
Proverbs 14:29 says, “People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
If you are quick to anger perhaps it could be because you lack understanding from Christ. Matthew Henry writes, “A mild, patient man is one that learns of Christ, who is Wisdom itself.” If we look to Jesus for an example of how to react under distress then we are most likely able to see both sides with compassion. When we look back at ourselves and our own actions we tend to judge ourselves by knowing our intentions, not solely the outcome of what we did. When looking at others we need to remember to use empathy and understand their intentions, not just the outcome of what happened.
A lot of people misuse the passage from Matthew 21 when Jesus became angry in the temple, he flipped tables, let the animals free, and drove out the sellers. Jesus' anger was not stemming from a place of ignorance but a place of righteousness. People were using his father's name to make money and lying to the people. If you have righteous anger to an injustice going on in the world like human trafficking, racism, world hunger then that righteous anger should light a fire inside you to make a change, spread awareness, donate, do something for the cause. Jesus physically tore the tables from the ground and said, "My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it 'a den of robbers.’” He saw the mockery the people were making and corrected them.
You may be someone who’s been holding on to unrighteous anger for a long time, to the point where you don’t even know how to do life without that anger. It does not have to be a part of your identity, that person who hurt you (even if that person is you) does not have to carry enough weight against your life. Do not let them take any more of your joy. Take the steps to move towards freedom, through prayer, the word, counseling, and mentorship.
James 1:19 says, “My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”
Counseling Resources: BWC Counseling phone number: 610-900-4688
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
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