RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

Is it ever okay to be angry? Often I find Christians are confused by the subject of anger. In defense of their outbursts, they say, “The Bible speaks of being angry but not sinning.” But the kind of rage in many people today isn’t the anger the Bible is talking about when it says we’re not to let the sun go down on our anger.
So when is anger good, and when is it bad? First we need to understand anger from a biblical perspective. There are three Greek words used in the New Testament that are often translated as the verb angered. The first is thumos, an agitated feeling that results in outbursts. The next is parorgismos, which is a more thoughtful feeling or “righteous indignation” — a disgust for injustice. The final word is aganaktesis, which refers to physical pain or irritation.
It’s this first word, thumos, that I want to deal with when I speak of victory over anger. It’s the word used in Galatians 5:20 when describing the deeds of the flesh. The King James Version translates it as wrath. No matter what the translation, one thing is not arguable: Thumoi in Galatians 5:20 is a work of the flesh — and not pleasing to God. We must overcome those feelings. There’s no excuse for the Christian to have outbursts of thumoi.” We cannot wrap our anger with spiritual terminology and parade it as something holy. It’s a product of a life lived in the power of the flesh and not the Spirit. It’s abominable to God.
Let’s call this kind of outburst of anger what it is: sin. A husband yelling at a wife in the name of the Lord is sin. A husband or wife beating a child from an outburst of anger is sin. Christians having outbursts of anger in the work of God is inexcusable. We must recognize the deeds of the flesh — and deal with them accordingly.
How do we overcome anger? If we look closely at the cause of much of our anger, we usually find it’s a result of deep hurt. We become angry because we feel mistreated or because we have received a raw deal. Or perhaps someone has inflicted pain and injury on us. So we hold unresolved feelings of bitterness that eventually make their way out of our lives in outbursts of anger. We do and say things not in sync with how we would normally respond.
One story in the Bible has been a tremendous help to me in overcoming feelings I have harbored in my heart. Joseph had been treated unjustly by his brothers. If anyone had a reason to get angry, Joseph did. Yet when he saw his brothers later in life, he responded to them saying, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good.” Joseph understood this great truth: God had a very specific plan for his life. Though he had received what could easily have been perceived as a raw deal, Joseph looked beyond his circumstances. He saw God’s hand and God’s provision. So he didn’t become bitter. There were no outbursts of thumoi. Instead, an unbelievable sense of calm, love, and peace filled his heart. Joseph knew that God was sovereign. He trusted His reign and rule in His life.
I believe we can overcome those horrible outbursts of anger that can plague our lives. We too must trust in God as our sovereign Lord. We need to get our focus off our circumstances — and onto His omnipotence. We need to see that He is in control. That perspective will come only as we spend time with Him: in His Word and in prayer. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. As I spend time in the fullness of His presence, I am at peace. When stormy circumstances engulf my life, I don’t have to yield to outbursts of anger. I can rest in sweet assurance and peace that God is in control. That gives me victory over anger.