Anger: Overcoming The Fire Within

What is God’s purpose in human anger?

God designed human anger to motivate us to take _________________________ in the face of wrongdoing or injustice.

Two Types of Anger

1. _______________ Anger – Valid anger in response to genuine evil/wrongdoing
   “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. 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.” (Mark 3:4–5, ESV)
2. _______________ Anger – Response to less than genuine evil/wrongdoing – May be based on erroneous perceptions or disordered loves
   “Anger is energy released to defend something you love. God is angry toward the evil that dishonors him and ruins that which he loves. But the problem with human anger is this – we tend to over love the wrong things.” - Tim Keller 
   “Anger is that paradoxical sin which can be the engine that drives us on to do our best, or it can be that which incapacitates us and leads us to do our worst.” - William Willimon

Anger’s Pathway

1. A stimulating _______________
2. An _______________ of that event
3. The _______________ of anger arises
4. We _______________ a response

Wisdom from Proverbs

1. _______________ The Results
   “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” (Proverbs 15:18, ESV)
   “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.” (Proverbs 14:29, ESV) “A man of quick temper acts foolishly,” (Proverbs 14:17, ESV)
2. _______________ Before Reacting
   “A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back.” (Proverbs 29:11, ESV)
   “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11, ESV)
3. _______________ Your Remarks
   “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” (Proverbs 21:23, ESV)
   “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.” (Proverbs 17:27, ESV)
   “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1, ESV)

A Model For Handling My Anger Productively

1. _______________ to yourself that you are angry

• Consciously
• Anger is a signal that something is wrong and needs
  attention

2. _______________ your immediate response

• Implosion (Becomes internal toxic waste)
• Explosion (Volcano: verbal or physical)

3. _______________ the focus of your anger

• Why am I so angry?
• What am I defending? What do I love?
• Am I sure I have all the facts?
• How serious is this offense?

4. _______________ your options

• What are the possible actions I can take?
• Is it positive?
• Is it loving?

5. _______________ constructive action

• Informed by truth
• Guided by love

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”” (Romans 12:17–19, ESV)

Making It Personal:

• Are you actively following Jesus Christ today? Has there been a point in your life when you turned from trusting in your self-rule and self-righteousness and turned to Jesus Christ alone as your Savior and Lord?
• What might be evidence of anger operating in your life? Ask God to reveal to you the presence of anger and remind you of the destructiveness of anger.
• How do you typically deal with your anger?
• How can you begin to transform how you deal with your anger? What practices/habits or people can help you live this out daily?
• Who can you share these truths with?

Ready to take your Next Step?

• Text Next to 803-637-8484
• Go to FBCFM.COM and click “Next Steps”