Dr Linda Helps - One of the most frequent questions I get asked is, “Should Christians get angry?” For some reason, Christians think that anger is wrong and has no place in their lives. I’ve even had family members tell me in therapy that they have never been angry and won’t allow anger to ever surface. I want to pinch them to see if they are alive (of course I resist this impulse). This is a ridiculous claim and usually one of the reasons they need therapy!

Anger is a God given emotion. Emotions are mood responses to living our lives. Emotions are influenced by thoughts and behavior. They are unpredictable but not good or bad. They are simply a part of our human make-up, subject to our control.

An emotion like anger comes as a response to something that happens or to a thought you have about an event or relationship. For example, you may get angry because your teen broke the curfew rule. You may get angry with your boss for piling up work with no extra pay. Or you may get angry when your child refuses to comply with your directive. To deny that you feel angry serves no purpose. In fact, it can lead to all sorts of physical and emotional difficulties over time. Unidentified anger is often the basis for conditions such as depression, eating disorders, alcohol and drug problems.

When Jesus took the form of man and lived on the earth, He experienced a wide range of emotions including compassion, pity, grief, anguish and yes, anger. He got angry with the Pharisees who continually tried to trap Him in their legalism, and refused to recognize Him as the Messiah. And He got angry with the moneychangers in the temple for making His house a den of thieves and overthrew tables.

God acknowledged that anger is a part of our emotional make-up when he said, “Be angry and do not sin” (Ephesians 4:26). The first part of this scripture gives permission to be angry. Anger can be used to correct wrong and bring about good. One great place to direct your anger is at sin and the enemy’s schemes. Be like my seven year old who says, “Let’s stomp on that mean old devil. He sure causes a lot of problems.”  

It’s the mishandling of anger that becomes problematic. That’s why God adds, “Do not sin.”  God wants us to learn to control this emotion and use it productively not in destructive ways. He gives multiple guidelines for dealing with anger so that it neither becomes harmful nor takes root in the heart.