Biblical Answer

The Anger that Points to God

When we feel angry, it's often because we feel God is less relevant to us, or that we've pushed him away. This anger is a shortcut that is doomed to fail, as it ultimately reveals our distrust of God. Anger shows that we don't trust God, and it becomes an opportunity to know him better. It's a sign that we're not loving others, and therefore, we're not loving God.

Understanding God's Anger

God's anger is not like ours; it's infused with holy purpose and is under the perfect control of limitless love. He suspends final judgment for our sake and for our glory. Anger typically begins as a judgment about right and wrong, but it can quickly turn into a stance against God. We're angry because our rights and glory, not God's, have been violated. We must avoid thinking of God's anger as uncontrolled fury or personal spitefulness. Rather, it's a holy opposition to sin.

The Call to Trust

When we identify anger in our lives, we can't simply say, "I'm going to stop being angry." Such a resolution is admirable, but it's not enough. We need to understand the root of our anger, which is our distrust of God. We need to meditate on the Lord's Prayer and ask ourselves, "Why?" We need to trust God, even when we don't understand his ways. Our anger indicates that we really don't trust God. Therefore, when we identify anger in our lives, we must confront it and ask God to temper our anger with patience and love. We must select our anger and choose to trust God. Selective optimism is not about denying our anger, but about choosing to trust God's love and wisdom, even when we're frustrated or depressed. By doing so, we'll find that our anger is replaced with patience and love.