I too was an extremely angry young man and an angry middle aged man. Working as a “full time Christian ministry” person my entire “christian” career (36 years).

Now I feel angry maybe once every 1-2 months. What happened?

Lots of things; I’m not sure which did away with anger (and fear by the way — I don’t remember the last time I was afraid).

Nearly complete rejection by a community of “good” Christians (ages 40-67, including my wife and 3 of my 5 children). Acceptance into several groups of younger people and non-christians.

Being crucified with Christ(Gal. 2:20).

Moving to Vietnam at age 67 with no “support group” to ease the cultural transition.

10 years in AA.

Not attending church for a long time. (Tried ‘em all, including 20 years as a RC.)

Studying the Tao te Ching until I got it.

Or maybe something else.

But this I know for certain: everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be, and I accept that. (Cf. the serenity prayer — I learned that in AA which was my “church” for 5 years.) I may not like it or agree with it. But that’s the way it is.

The way that the world is is not my area of concern, but the way I am and my faithfulness to my Father is.

I hope that this will help an angry person.

It’s funny, even Carl Jung in the early 20th century discovered that this truth in the Bible of hypocritically calling others out was absolutely true. For those that don’t know, he was a psychologist who propagated the idea of projection, among other things.

That is, when somebody’s actions affect us so badly that we lose control of ourselves, it is evidence that what is really bothering us is something inside of us and not the other person. For, if the thing did not exist within us, would we not have self-control in that situation?

Oswald Chambers reminded us of the danger of not believing the Bible on this point.

We then get angry at hypocrites, saying that they are too hasty to judge others for the very same things that they do. But then we come back to this principle again (hopefully) and realize that, again, we are being the hypocrites hastily judging others for our own faults.

This takes us back to the face of the Almighty God, our Loved One, who alone can remove our guilt and shame.

And he doesn’t ask for us to make ourselves perfect. All that he requires is that we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

I don’t think we realize that all our energy in trying to drive others to perfection is wasted energy that could be used upon our own walk.

May we all be humble and lovingly understanding towards others.

Amen, Lord. Amen.

Imonk–thank you for your patience and responses. I have simply tried to present the other side of the anger coin. If we need to not be angry at our brothers and sisters or rail against life’s unfairness. However, if we are to truly represent God, then there are some things for which anger is a godly response.

To everyone else who provided sincere advice, I thank you.

James 5:20 – “For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

My anger leads me resentment and bitterness. In contrast, my passion leads me to joy and excitement in the Spirit, and gives me resolve to do the work of the Father.

Anger is a secondary emotion that comes as a result of another emotion. Find the root, and deal with THAT.

Joe

Excellent!!

I guess its God’s job to sort it out. Worrying about what others do and how they live isnt productive.

besides, we’d all like to think we are cleansed of ‘the system’, or above it, but even a cloistered monk is still part of a system and a culture; this planet is as closed a system as a hamster cage.

However, *where* do we direct our anger? Is it primarily at other other people, or is it at Satan and at our *own* spiritual complacency, which exists in us, just as it does in others?

I’m not saying that anger should ever be a primary, dominating emotion in the lives of Christians. I do think it can sometimes be appropriate. We have to willing to look at ourselves though and especially, willing to ask the Spirit to search our hearts *about* our anger and show us what is truly there.