Anger is Bad for Your Health

Have you ever been so mad that you had an imaginary conversation in your head where you absolutely leveled the recipient of your anger with your clever words and snappy comebacks? Were you hot under the collar? As ill as a hornet? Were you about to fly off the handle or have a hissy fit?

It’s not always wrong to be angry. Anger in itself is not a sin, but how we handle our anger can very well lead to sin. You’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t get angry—I get even.” That’s a very human response, and while getting even may give you a temporary sense of satisfaction, it’s not the best way to resolve a troubling situation.

Not all anger is bad. In fact, it’s ok to be angry. In the Old Testament, God was angry over and over again with the Hebrews for not following His commandments. And while God’s anger is what kept them wandering in the desert for 40 years, God’s love got them to the Promised Land.

In the New Testament, When Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the Temple in Jerusalem, He was angry for the right reason—these men had dishonored God by taking advantage of those who came to offer sacrifices to atone for their sins.

In the King James Bible, the word anger appears 234 times, while the word love appears 310 times. The word anger appears more often in the Old Testament than in the New Testament, while the converse is true about the word love. Most people would consider that a clue—love is more important than anger.

In Matthew 22:37 (KJV), when Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment, He paraphrases the Torah and replies, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

In verse 39, Jesus adds that the second important commandment is “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (also found in Mark 12:28-31 and in Luke 10:27). Love really is the answer.

Holding on to harsh attitudes and anger will dry up your love for God. In contrast, showing love diffuses anger. It actually de-fuses anger. It’s almost impossible for your anger to control you if you’re focused on loving the person who hurt you.

The next time you’re angry, you don’t have to release balloons and sing “Let It Go.” You’re allowed to be angry. But before you chew up nails and spit out a barbed wire fence—try out some Biblical advice:

Proverbs 15:1—A soft answer turns away wrath.

Ephesians 4:26—Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.

James 1:19—Let every person be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.

The bottom line is that we have to step outside of our anger and trust that God has the solution. And if we can learn to rely on His love—instead of wrapping ourselves in our own anger—just like He did with the Hebrews in the desert, God will take us to the Promised Land, too.