Can we talk about anger?

[humble soul]

Maybe I fancy myself as some new age Christian psychotherapist. I think with more effort and grace I may have become one. Am I kidding myself?
This thread I would hope we could share some of our problems with that most difficult of emotions, anger. It's hard to admit to, I admit.
I mean our credibility on this forum may be affected by such admissions. My worst incident is hard to share. Part of me denies it ever happened. I went to a therapist straight after. It pierced something in my soul. My gut was telling " get some help humble, you are screwed up". I was ok for a while but I've had a few setbacks since. Does thinking about anger minimise anger? I hope so.

 

[humble soul]

Albert Ellis. He's my current guru. Oh Gandhi of course too. Gandhi showed us how to behave in the face of triggers that make most people react angrily. Gandhi won with his lawyer brain. He outsmarted his angry enemies. There's a lesson for all of us.

 

[humble soul]

What I've noticed in the workplace is that the higher your status, the more right you have to express anger. We've received dictatorial messages from my boss as if we were scum. Disrespectful and dismissive. Ultimatums threatening dismissal. Lower status people can't afford to express anger. You become a "problem" employee. This is why people are attracted to power and promotion. They can escape powerlessness and impotence.

 

[Tzephanyahu]

Shalom humble soul

Yes, I still struggle with maintaining my anger.

Intellectually and spiritually I understand the folly of it. However, it can rise in me so quickly at times, and without warning, like a saucepan of boiling milk.

I've taken to refusing to speak when as angry these days. It's not ideal, but at least it stops me sinning with my mouth and attitude. It also gives me time to try and remove my emotional content in my thoughts and try to think impartially and objectively.

Nevertheless, the further I think I have come along, the more I am disappointed when I erupt again. Whether justified or not, I hate that I can't control it and that I'm just a passenger to the rage!

How true the Scripture is that reads "he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he who takes a city"

Love & Shalom

 

[humble soul]

the anger virus. More lethal than corona.

 

[humble soul]

How true the Scripture is that reads "he who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he who takes a city"

Great quote

 

[humble soul]

I hate that I can't control it and that I'm just a passenger to the rage

Yeah I get that. Like a 3rd party watching himself become demon possessed. Then Satan tricks you into feeling powerful, when the opposite is actually true. You become a slave.

 

[Quantrill]

Good thing yall never met Jesus.

(Mark 3:5) "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,...."

My my, yall would have given Him the 'you must love your neighbor' speech. Yall would have assured Him that the love of God was not in Him.

What absolute silliness yall present.

Quantrill

 

[Corn Pop]

I'm not angry, im just upset.

 

[humble soul]

I'm not angry, im just upset.

I tell you what really makes me angry....people saying I'm angry!!

 

[Edward]

the anger virus. More lethal than corona.

Is it? Could it be a manifestation of a spirit?

Hmmm.

 

[Edward]

Anger is a power of sorts. When anger wells up within a person it usually manifests in violence.

I just watched a video testimony of a Brother who, woke up in the middle of the night, and he was praying and then Jesus walked through the wall into his house...and instead of him reacting joyfully, he reacted with fear and anger (!) It's a very interesting testimony.

 

[stovebolts]

Good thing yall never met Jesus.

(Mark 3:5) "And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,...."

My my, yall would have given Him the 'you must love your neighbor' speech. Yall would have assured Him that the love of God was not in Him.

What absolute silliness yall present.

Quantrill

Let’s look at that verse in its entirety.
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

it’s ok to be angry. Anger is not a bad emotion that is to be oppressed. Anger tells us something is wrong and it calls us to action.

If we look at Jesus example, what does he do with his anger? That’s right, he heals a man. His anger is used to show us that we we use our own anger to heal those around us.

This is why scripture tells us not to sin in our anger, but what many fail to realize is that doing nothing with your anger is actually sinning. Why? Because that anger should motivate us to do what’s right in order to make a positive change in this world.

the problem is most don’t know how to use that anger to heal. It’s our nature to use that anger in a destructive manner. As a result, we are taught to stuff that anger and be passive. This is not what Jesus taught, nor lived by example.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

I tell you what really makes me angry....people saying I'm angry!!

I too get angry.
But I believe in sola scriptura.
If someone speaks outside the Bible and expresses it as truth, yes, it angers me.
I suffer from severe anxiety.
I have since birth I believe.
Most people don't know that, and the ones that do don't understand it.
Doctors don't even recognize it.
I often feel I am alone outside the people around me.
They judge me, not even knowing what they are judging, and that makes me angry.
I've found there are too many people who think they understand God and life better than others, and are quick to categorize you where ever they want.
And that makes me angry.
My problems arise when I express that anger because I can't keep it under control.

And still, life goes on.....

 

[Quantrill]

Let’s look at that verse in its entirety.
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

it’s ok to be angry. Anger is not a bad emotion that is to be oppressed. Anger tells us something is wrong and it calls us to action.

If we look at Jesus example, what does he do with his anger? That’s right, he heals a man. His anger is used to show us that we we use our own anger to heal those around us.

This is why scripture tells us not to sin in our anger, but what many fail to realize is that doing nothing with your anger is actually sinning. Why? Because that anger should motivate us to do what’s right in order to make a positive change in this world.

the problem is most don’t know how to use that anger to heal. It’s our nature to use that anger in a destructive manner. As a result, we are taught to stuff that anger and be passive. This is not what Jesus taught, nor lived by example.

Jesus anger wasn't directed at the man he healed. He was angry at others. My point being, nothing wrong with anger.

No, we are not taught to 'stuff that anger and be passive'. When Jesus overturned the sellers tables at the temple and then drove them out with a whip, He wasn't 'stuffing' his anger.

Of course many people on this forum would have lectured him over his anger issues. Probably send him to anger management classes.

Quantrill

 

[stovebolts]

Jesus anger wasn't directed at the man he healed. He was angry at others. My point being, nothing wrong with anger.

I feel like you may have misunderstood me. Let me see if I can clarify.
first, we are both in agreement that there is nothing wrong with anger. But where things can go wrong, is how that anger gets expressed.
Jesus was angered at the hardness of heart by those who were supposed to be shepherding Israel. Instead, they bound the flock with burdens. Jesus expresses his anger caused by the religious leaders by healing the very one that the teachers were neglecting and adding burdens.
Jesus uses that anger to do good where harm was currently being done.

No, we are not taught to 'stuff that anger and be passive'. When Jesus overturned the sellers tables at the temple and then drove them out with a whip, He wasn't 'stuffing' his anger.

Zeal is another closely related topic, but again, I fear you misunderstood me. let me clarify.
For many (not all), they are taught through secular norms that anger is bad. They are not taught how to express that anger in a healthy way. Often, this only builds their inner tension and when their anger is expressed, it’s very destructive. This only reinforces that anger is bad for them, so they stuff their anger in fear of doing something destructive.

Jesus teaches us that anger is not bad. But more so, he teaches us how to harness that anger and use it for good.

Of course many people on this forum would have lectured him over his anger issues. Probably send him to anger management classes.

And that should anger you.
by way of the teachings and examples of Jesus, what are ways you can express that anger in a Godly way?

 

[Quantrill]

I feel like you may have misunderstood me. Let me see if I can clarify.
first, we are both in agreement that there is nothing wrong with anger. But where things can go wrong, is how that anger gets expressed.
Jesus was angered at the hardness of heart by those who were supposed to be shepherding Israel. Instead, they bound the flock with burdens. Jesus expresses his anger caused by the religious leaders by healing the very one that the teachers were neglecting and adding burdens.
Jesus uses that anger to do good where harm was currently being done.

Zeal is another closely related topic, but again, I fear you misunderstood me. let me clarify.
For many (not all), they are taught through secular norms that anger is bad. They are not taught how to express that anger in a healthy way. Often, this only builds their inner tension and when their anger is expressed, it’s very destructive. This only reinforces that anger is bad for them, so they stuff their anger in fear of doing something destructive.

Jesus teaches us that anger is not bad. But more so, he teaches us how to harness that anger and use it for good.


And that should anger you.
by way of the teachings and examples of Jesus, what are ways you can express that anger in a Godly way?

Jesus was going to heal the man irregardless of how others felt about it. His anger is not why He was moved to heal the man. He was simply angry at others response to this healing. He wasn't trying to direct His anger at something good. He was angry at those who came against Him for this healing.

Turning over tables is destructive. Running the commercial sellers out of the Temple with a whip was destructive. I believe that was a Godly way.

I don't try and say, I am angry, so how can I use it for good. I simply say, I as a Christian am angry and voice that anger. I don't try and conceal it through doing some other thing where it is not perceived as anger. It is anger.

Quantrill

 

[stovebolts]

Jesus was going to heal the man irregardless of how others felt about it. His anger is not why He was moved to heal the man. He was simply angry at others response to this healing. He wasn't trying to direct His anger at something good. He was angry at those who came against Him for this healing.

ESV
3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Why was Jesus angry?
In other words, what service were “they” in verse 2 tasked to do per Torah?
I would say “they” were more concerned with keeping their interpretation on how to keep the Sabbath than healing or helping others aka doing their religious duties as God intended them to do. We see “they” many times confronting Jesus in regard to “working” on the Sabbath.

When we look at “why” Jesus healed, it was a teaching moment. It teaches us that we do what is right, even if we get persecuted for it.

 

[humble soul]

My father was not an angry type. He didn't harbour grudges. Hr never complained about unfairness. Not being an intellectual helped. Very simple unambitious person.

 

[humble soul]

I am not convinced the Bible is enough to help us with anger management though. Or anger policy. I turn to guys like Albert Ellis at the moment, a psychologist who was indirectly responsible for the creation of CBT in counselling.