Common Myth: Anger is bad
Anger isn't the problem. Our response to it is.
Implicit Anger
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Psalm 42:5
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.
Psalm 72:2
Emerging Anger
Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 10:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Psalm 22:1-2
Active Anger
Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
Psalm 12:1-2
Extreme Anger
May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
May their sins always remain before the Lord, that he may blot out their name from the earth.
Psalm 109:8-15
Bottom Line
God invites us to bring our anger to him honestly.
Steps for processing anger in prayer with God
1. Detect it
Unacknowledged anger can turn on you.
Unacknowledged anger leaks out sideways.
2. Dig into why it's there
Anger is often a secondary emotion.
Asking “why” reveals the legitimacy of your anger.
3. Discern what God has to say about it
Action Steps
Prayerful reflection
- What was modeled for you in your first formation with anger?
- How do you typically relate to anger (suppression or eruption)?
- Where are you angry at God, yourself, or others?
Practice
Take something you're angry about and work through these steps:
- Detect — notice your anger and decide to deal with it.
- Dig — assume a posture of compassionate and curiosity and ask: why am I angry?
- Discern — how does God want to speak to and transform my anger?
