Author: Bill Brinkworth

… And They Prayed!

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Abraham
Daniel
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Gideon
Hannah
Hezekiah
Isaac
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Jesus
Job
John
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Moses
Paul
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Anger, Without Sin
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many damaging and hurtful things to others and themselves, because of their unforgiveness of someone’s deed to them. When the Holy Spirit comes into one’s life and is obeyed, the underlyng causes of angriness may not seem so important any more, resulting in less need for being angry. All things should be changed in the believer, and the handling of one’s anger can be part of the change.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17
As impossible as it sounds, anger can be reduced in one’s life. If it were not possible God, would not have commanded us to eliminate anger from our life. As in all difficulties we face in this life, prayer, finding God’s instructions by reading His Word, and obedience to what He shows us in the scripture will help us to overcome sinful anger.
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: …” Psalm 37:8
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Visit: www.OpenThouMineEyes.com Vol.: 160

Anger, Without Sin
Bill Brinkworth
Each person shows their anger differently, but everyone gets angry. For some the emotion boils and stews inside of them, and for others it results in fists through the sheetrock.
These emotions of displeasure are part of how we are created. It is part of our design. Anger was never intended, however, to turn to sin or to control our lives.
Since we are created in the image of God, we have many attributes that our Creator has. Anger is one of them, although He would never sin with His anger.
God got angry with:
Moses.
The people of Israel.
Aaron.
Solomon.
With those sinning. “God judgeth the right-
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eous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.” Psalm 7:11

“Keep Your Shirt On!”
Author Unknown
In early 1952, President Truman appointed Newbold Morris to investigate crime and mismanagement in high government circles. Later that year, Morris was in the witness chair answering a barrage of pointed questions from the Senate sub-committee members regarding the sale of some ships by his New York company.
The investigation was becoming hot and fierce. Morris’ face took on a look of pain, then of surprise, and then of anger. Amidst the excitement, he shouted, as he reached into his coat and produced a sheet of white paper.
“Wait a minute. I have a note here from my wife. It says, ‘Keep your shirt on.’”
Everybody laughed, and the angry excitement died down, at least temporarily.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverb 15:1

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Anger, Without Sin
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eous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”
Psalm 7:11
Even Jesus was angry enough to throw the corrupt moneychangers out of the temple:
“And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, ... and overthrew the tables;” John 2:15
God’s chosen men got angry, including:
Moses, one of the men most used by God.
Nehemiah.
Jonah.
In all the situations that God was angry, never was sin involved. Anger is not sin when it is directed towards the things God gets angry at. It is not sin if you find yourself angry at unrighteousness in government, the death of millions of aborted babies, or the theft of property. Angriness is sin when it is for prideful or selfish reasons.
Needless to say, we should not want to get angry and should avoid it at all costs. It should be a last measure in handling a situation. Some biblical reasons for not getting angry are:
Remember that God was angry with you, but He turned His anger away from you and forgave you, if you have trusted Christ as your Saviour! Think of all the times He forgave and forgot your transgressions against him. If He can turn His anger away from you, and He certainly does not have to, cannot we forgive and forget what a person did to us? Are not you glad that you did not receive what was due you for your sin against the Creator?
“... O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.” Isa. 12:1
Because you will do something foolish that you probably will regret. (Proverb 14:7)
Because no one likes angry people. (Proverb 14:17)
Because no one wants to be near angry people. (Pr. 21:19)
Because no one should be friends with angry people. God commands us not to He knows that anger can spread from them to you! (Proverb 22:24)
Because angriness affects others and causes problems. Many times an angry person gets some satisfaction in making others as unhappy as he. (Pr. 29:22)
Controlling anger is easier said than done. For some, an angry reaction comes upon them so fast that it turns to sinful anger before it can be stopped. The Bible does give suggestions and warnings so it does not turn into sin. They include:
Do not let angriness be the first reaction to a situation. Some are convinced that blowing their stack is the only way they will get what they want. They hope that the opposition will back off, when they blow up. Realizing t

Do not let angriness be the first reaction to a situation. Some are convinced that blowing their stack is the only way they will get what they want. They hope that the opposition will back off, when they blow up. Realizing that anger does not ever fix any situation, and that it usually makes matters worse, is one of the first steps in eliminating anger. (Ecclesiastes 7:9)
Only angriness against sin is justified. The mind of Christ that resides in every Christian should be angry at sin. The Christian should not want to sin, and therefore any anger leading to a trespass against God should want to be halted. (Matthew 5:22)
If you do get angry, get it right and forgive the offender before the day is finished. Do not let that spirit of angriness fester over-night. If you do, you will wake up with that sin embedded deep, and it will be harder to forgive and put it behind you.
“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:” Ephesians 4:26
A personal apology to one that you are angry with (even though it was they that wronged you) does wonders in burning the bridges to not return to an angry solution again. If you asked the person that did you wrong to forgive you for your anger against him, you will find it hard to get angry at him again, knowing that you do not want to humble yourself again.
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you ...” Ephesians 4:31
Take the anger of the past and throw it out of your life to the best of your ability. Fill that void with kindness. ‘Put away’ in verse 31, means to ‘take up and away’ with anger. When you put it away, do not pick it up again. When one thinks about it, they are picking it up.
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32 Also: 1 Peter 2:1
Do not get yourself in a position that has made you angry in the past. If you know a certain situation or being near a person will probably lead to sinful anger, avoid that situation or person. (Romans 13:14)
Think before reacting. This is a difficult thing to do, because anger is usually the first reaction. If you can get to that point that you can think before you react, ask yourself, “How would Jesus react to this situation?” A Christian is supposed to be “Christ-like,” and it should be on a Christian’s mind that they duplicate their Master’s reaction.
Anger can be ‘put off’ when the heart is changed at the time of salvation. Although we will still have the potential for anger, we can have a changed heart where angriness does not rule and reign. We all know angry people that do
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many damaging and hurtful things to others and themselves because of their unforgiving someone’s deed to them. When the Holy Spirit comes into one’s life and is obeyed, the underlyng causes of angriness may not seem so important any more, resulting in less need for being angry.

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“An angry man is again angry with himself when he returns to reason.” — Publcius Syrus