Controlling Anger Prov. 16:32 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
Controlling anger is something that you must do so that it doesn’t control you. You must learn to control your anger. Prov 25:28 says, “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” Prov 16:32 says, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Controlling anger is hard work; but it must be done.
It is not a sin to get mad about some things, if you don’t sin in the process. Things like retaliation (Rom.12:17-21), cursing (Ps. 59:12), slander (Prov.10:18), gossip (Prov. 18:8), fighting (Gal.5:15), verbal abuse (Prov.12:18), and so forth are sins that are committed in anger. It is good to get angry about certain things if you don’t sin and lose control of your spirit. Eph.4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not…” The trouble is that few of us can do this.
Here are some ideas for controlling anger:
Be honest about who’s at fault – Matt 5:22 “Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” Be sure that you have a just cause for you anger. Jesus certainly had just cause to be angry with the moneychangers who had turned his house of prayer into a den of thieves. The Galatians, on the other hand, were certainly wrong for getting mad at Paul for telling them the truth about their legalistic ways (Gal.4:16). If you are the one at fault, you have no business taking your anger out on others.
Get it out – Eph 4:26 “…let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” When something is eating at you, you must deal with it before it escalates. You cannot take it to bed with you. Sit down with the person with whom you have a problem and talk clearly and succinctly about the problem. Get it out there where you can deal with it. If you can’t get over the anger by sun down, you have a problem that goes beyond what this verse allows, and you need to get it fixed. Otherwise, it will turn to bitterness and others will get hurt (Heb.12:14-15). So, deal with it and learn to let it go. Don’t take problems to bed with you.
Lengthen your fuse – If you have a short fuse learn to lengthen it. Some folks get mad at the littlest things. You should pray for grace (Heb.4:16) and you must keep away from this foolishness (Prov.14:16-17). Get more rest in the night time, learn to manage your stress, watch out for nutritional deficiencies or excesses that contribute to your anger, stay calm, let go of the past, and learn to recognize contributing emotional factors from the onset rather than just before the explosion.
Walk in newness of life – Rom 6:4; 2 Cor 5:17 – if you are an outrageous and cruel person (Prov. 27:3-4) by nature, realize now that you are a new creature in Christ. Start walking in the Spirit [Gal 5:16-17] and quit living in the flesh. Some people are mad all the time; they just keep it stuffed deep down inside. Then they blow up when they can’t hold it in any longer. They hurt everybody they love. You need to put away this anger and be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving (Eph.4:31-32).
Keep your imagination in check – many times anger is fueled by your imagination. You keep imagining how the person you’re mad at is doing things to hurt you. Then, all you can think about is the person that you’re mad at. In that case, you must yield your thoughts to the obedience Jesus Christ and let him bring them into captivity (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
Realize that anger is a choice – you don’t have to get mad when somebody crosses you or when something bad happens to you. You can choose to be controlled and manipulated by people who make you mad or you can choose to disregard them and keep on living in the strength and joy of the Lord. You decide (Prov 19:11).
Conclusion: if you do not want to be an angry person you do not have to be. You can change. Follow these ways of controlling anger and learn some of your own. If you want to be an angry person, on the other hand, then nothing will change you. You will continue to be angry. It’s all up to you.