The following statements may surprise you. Anger is not a sin. Anger is not a result of the Fall. Anger is not straight out of Satan’s toolbox. Anger, instead, is part of God’s image that He placed within man at creation. The emotion of anger stems from God’s holiness and His love. More than four hundred and fifty times in the Bible, God’s anger is mentioned. However, the Bible says, “God is love.” It does not say that God is anger.
God’s holiness demands justice when injustice takes place. His love cares about those hurting, the neglected, and the oppressed. It is this moral fiber of right and wrong, justice and injustice, truth and deception that fuels anger in the hearts of humans. Without it, apathy would allow deliberate pain and suffering to continue with abandonment.
But what is God’s response in His anger? If His holiness and love are the anchors tethering His anger from annihilating His creation, then mankind must look to Him for the right way to respond in their own anger. The Scripture gives many examples of God’s anger in action, most notably in the small book of Jonah. From this story, God’s anger is visible toward the Ninevites, to whom He sends Jonah to warn of their coming destruction. Jonah refuses to cooperate with God, so God gains Jonah’s compliance with a three-night stay in less-than-appealing accommodations. Jonah was thankful for God’s mercy after being eaten alive and then spit out of a big fish, but he was not at all thankful for God’s mercy toward the Ninevites after they repented.
God’s anger offered a warning that led to an entire nation’s repentance and restoration. Jonah’s anger at God for showing such mercy had no redeeming quality, however. His anger only sought the destruction of his enemies. He had no other positive outcome in mind, except to see vengeance rain down on those he hated.
Author Gary Chapman believes that “anger is designed to motivate us to take positive action when we encounter injustice.” (Anger: Taming a Powerful Emotion, 25.) Such was the case with William Wilberforce, when he fought for years to rid England of the awful slave trade. It would be many more years before the Civil War ended slavery in the United States. However, the tireless efforts of a man who would not just apathetically accept injustice brought needed change to two nations.
Another example is the organization that grew out of a mother’s rage at drunken driving. MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) was formed to stop judges from giving out light sentences to drivers who killed people with their vehicles. Their tireless efforts funneled justifiable anger into constructive change. This is exactly how God created anger to operate. Even Jesus, angry that the moneychangers were extorting people in a place designed to allow Gentiles to pray, constructively cleaned out His Father’s house. No one was hurt, though a few moneybags were lightened in the process.
God’s people should be angry at sinful injustice. They should stand up for the helpless and oppressed, but their responses must also be constructive and not destructive. It should build positive relationships, not destroy people. It should work with the laws, not fight those enforcing the laws. It must match God’s holiness and love to bring forth God’s redemptive change.
Also, it is important to remember God’s Words to Elijah when national revival did not take place after his tireless efforts.
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. 1 Kings 19:11-12
God does not often work in miraculous pageantry. He works individually. His voice is quiet, and only those who still their hearts before Him will hear Him speak. Do not get discouraged when change does not immediately come after all your efforts have been spent. God will carry on His plan beyond human intervention. Just keep doing all you can, where you can, within His plan.
As always, I welcome your thoughts. Have a blessed day, my friends!
His Song in the Night 