It’s Okay To Be Angry And Have Righteous Anger

Hello, and welcome to Social Media Ministries. My name is Spencer Coffman, Thank you so much for tuning in today. We’ve got a great message for you. I already know you’re going to like it, so wherever you are: YouTube, Facebook, any place, podcast, hit the like button.

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Today we are talking about anger. Anger is something that a lot of people either misinterpret, or misunderstand, or don’t take the time to think about about – to plan for and to decide how they are going to handle it. You say: “Well what are you talking about? Why do we need to decide how we’re going to handle anger? Why do we need to plan for how we’re going to get angry?”

Because anger is an emotion, it is something that if you don’t have a handle on or control of, it will control you. It will handle you. So it’s time to make a decision. To control your anger. Tto get a handle on your anger.

You say: “I’m not really an angry person. Pretty easygoing, doesn’t matter.” Something will happen that makes you angry. And if nothing makes you angry then guess what? I’m more concerned for you than for the people that have horrible tempers.

Why? Things need to make you angry. If nothing’s making you angry. guess what? You’re not doing your job as a Christian. You’re not aware of what’s going on in the world. Because you know what? I’m angry all the time. You say “Wow you’re a preacher, and you’re angry all the time?” You bet I am.

You think I’m happy when I find out that in Texas, 80,000 people went missing? Or the government might have been in on it couple years ago? Or when I understand that probably 60 million people are currently in slavery?

“Wait a minute, what? We did away with slavery, Abraham Lincoln did that.” Doesn’t matter, 60 million people tell that to them. Over half might be in sex slavery, oh my goodness that makes me angry.

How about uh all the beaten and battered women and children around abuse what about the people in the foster care system that makes me angry how about people dying of starvation. Not in today’s world. Look at all the food McDonald’s throws away every day.

Look at all the food that it goes to waste at restaurants. Look at all the food I throw away out of my own refrigerator. And yet every 10 seconds a child dies due to malnutrition. That makes me angry. If you’re not getting angry you’re not doing your job as a Christian.

Now is getting angry your job? No. So what do I mean by that? We’re going to dive into it. Because anger is not the problem, anger is a motivator. Anger is like love. They’re both emotions. If I love someone I can just say “I love it” that’s great. But how do I show that I love it or love someone? I do something.

If you’re angry about something, then most people do something about it. The problem is what they choose to do. If you get angry at your dog, do you choose to punch it or to kick it? The anger is not the problem. The reaction to the anger is the problem.

How are you choosing to react to your anger? You say “I’m not choosing, it’s Just happening.” That’s why you got to make a choice. You need to make a choice to control your anger, so when it happens you’re choosing how to act, that your action is not a reaction to the emotion of anger.

Anger is okay. It’s okay to be angry. Anger is not a sin. You say “Whoa, wait a minute.” Anger is not a sin? Correct. It’s what you do with that anger. Jesus got angry, but he never sinned. So it’s what you do with the anger that can cause sin. Thoughts become actions. Actions can give birth to sin. That’s from James.

Jesus became angry and never sinned. His anger was demonstrated twice in the Bible. One with the “Story of the Fig Tree”, when he was hungry and he goes to this tree and there’s nothing. Finding nothing, he curses the tree: “May you never bear fruit again,” And then they leave.

The next day when he and his disciples are coming back, they said “Master look at this, that tree you cursed has withered.” And Jesus says “You’ll be able to do this, and even more.” That’s one time Jesus got angry. He cursed the tree, the tree died. You say wait a minute, he acted in anger. He killed something. That’s different.

How is it different? We’re not going to dive into it, but here’s the deal. That tree had a purpose. The tree was not accomplishing its purpose. Jesus shut it down. He stopped it. Why should it use up the soil? There are other parables in the New Testament, where a worker and a master, and the master says “Why should this plant use up the soil?”

And the guy says wait, let me dig around it, fertilize it, and then if after a couple seasons it hasn’t produced then we can dig it up. It was, if it’s not accomplishing its purpose, Jesus says “No.” That tree was not accomplishing its purpose of bearing fruit. He was hungry, which is the purpose of that fruit. That tree should provide him with something to eat, it wasn’t. Shut it down.

If you are not accomplishing your purpose for God, he will shut you down. He will. You will be stopped in your tracks. I don’t know how: poverty, sickness, maybe even death. If you’re hindering the purpose of God. You’re out of here. Just like that fig tree, and that’s not a sin. Because it’s God’s purpose.

So do whatever you can, to be doing your purpose.

The next time Jesus became angry, or another time, is when people in the temple were selling things, exchanging money, doing all this stuff, and Jesus became angry. And what did He do? He overturned tables, and He drove them out of the temple. Was that a sin? He turned over someone’s table, that’s not nice.

What was the root? What is the purpose of the temple? What were they doing? They were not doing the purpose for which the temple was intended. They were not adhering to that purpose. Jesus shut them down. He drove them out. Let’s go to that verse, John 2:1-15. Let’s check it out.

John Chapter 2, Verse 15 says “So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the Temple area, both sheep and cattle. He scattered the coins of the money changers, and overturned their tables.” He drove them out with a whip!

They were misusing something, it wasn’t the right purpose. They were abusing the temple. Jesus drove them out. He shut them down. So it’s okay to be angry. Jesus got angry. We have two stories in the Bible about Jesus and his anger.

There are many many more stories about anger in the Bible. Heck, the Old Testament was filled with God getting angry at the Israelites, saying: “I’m going to wipe them out.” And Moses: “no no God please give me another chance with them, don’t wipe them out.” Abraham same thing. God would say: “I’m wiping them out.”

What about Sodom and Gomorah? His anger would burn against them. What about Lot and his wife? His wife looks back. God’s anger burned against her: pillar of salt, boom! Vaporized.

If you do not obey and you do not accomplish the purpose for which God instructed and intended you to do, you could be at the end of God’s anger, his wrath.

So it’s okay to be angry. It’s okay for you to be angry but the question is, what makes you angry? And what do you do about it? Do you have a righteous anger, fueled and motivated by God? And are you doing something about it or are you letting it go?

Now of course we can’t do something about it all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I’m driving, and I come up to a red light or a light that’s turning red, and there go six seven cars I’m not kidding six or seven through the red light. Blatantly red, they’re going anyway.

(laughs) You can tell it makes me angry, but what am I going to do about it? Burn through the red light and chase them down? No. Call 911 and report it? How? (hand gesture, imitating a phone) “Oh yeah, at this intersection six people ran through the light, thanks. They’re going to hang up.

You can’t do stuff about that. Don’t curse them, that’s a sin. You could pray: “God, Enact justice upon these people, help them realize something” like that. Don’t pray it like that though, in contempt. Pray it in love. Everything makes a difference. It’s what you think and do with your anger that either is justified or is sinful. Righteous or sinful.

Jesus allowed His anger to fuel a passion to do good. You say: “Well how is killing the Fig Tree doing good?” It wasn’t serving its purpose. “How was overturning tables doing good?” They were abusing the temple.

If I witness someone abusing their child and I step in to protect and save that child. I’m angry, am I doing good? Or am I going to go to jail for interrupting a parent disciplining their child?

Depends. Is it one spanking? Is it a couple? Or are they beating that kid unconscious and he’s bleeding on the floor? There’s a difference. There’s a line. Use your discretion. How do you know what your discretion is? Read the Bible. Understand what’s right and wrong, and you will know where to draw the line.

Jesus used His anger to do good. He cleansed the temple and did so in a way that was just and right. There are so many things that can make you angry in today’s world. Control that anger. Direct it to a righteous purpose.

The question is, why are you angry, and what are you doing about it? Is it a personal problem that makes you angry, or is it a worldly problem that’s against what God says, that’s making you angry.

Sure you know in the middle of the night, you can wake up and step on a Lego with your bare foot. That can make you pretty angry. But are you going to go drag your kid out of bed, and beat him, while you make him pick up their Legos because you hurt your foot?

Or are you going to get angry, and then laugh it off? Cause you know what? You have kids, and they don’t know yet, and you try to tell them to pick up their toys. And it’s: what are you doing with your anger, and that type of anger, that’s your personal problem.

You’re like: “I can’t control if I step on a Lego in the middle of the night.” You could, it’s not your fault. It’s an accident, but that’s a personal thing. Whether or not you step on a Lego and hurt your foot, doesn’t really have an effect on the Kingdom of God.

Yes it does because you are a part of the body, but in the grand scheme of things, that is a minor issue. If those are the issues you focus on, that you choose to enact your anger and your wrath, that’s wrong. That’s a problem.

But if you take a look at the Kingdom, and the body of Christ, and what’s going on … how other countries are setting Christians on fire. They’re wrapping them up in yoga mats and throwing them in the ocean. And pushing them under the water with poles. Or they’re burying them alive so they suffocate, if they don’t die from the weight. Or they’re doing all of these terrible things, that should make you angry.

What are you going to do about it? It’s the bigger problems, the righteous anger that you need to have. And then start working, like God would. Fuel a passion to do good. So the next time you become angry, try to pause. Pause for a moment, and think about how you can use that anger in a right way.

Were you offended by something and became angry? Well if you were, that’s wrong. There’s no reason you should ever be offended about anything. Did Jesus get offended? No. If they’re insulting you, remember they insulted Him. So what? You shouldn’t be offended. If someone else is doing something and you take offense to that, that’s not your business, your problem.

To be offended is to be prideful, because you’re acting from a position of pride. Saying “You know better,” or you think that something is, is better than that, or you have values better than that. You’re taking offense. Don’t take offense, trust God.

Don’t be prideful. Pause in your anger. Think about how to use it in the right way. Don’t think those malicious thoughts, because even the thought of a negative action can be a sin or lead to one.

Let’s dive into some scripture, before we get into this. Let’s go to Proverbs. Proverbs 19:11. We’re going to read a lot of Proverbs right now, you ready? I’m going to go one after another. Proverbs 19:11 “A man’s Wisdom gives him patience. It is to his glory to overlook an offense.”

Overlook the offense. It’s to your glory. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t get stuck on it. If someone says that, “Oh, people with spiky hair are stupid.” and I take offense to that, why? Why should I take offense to that? It’s their opinion. It’s their opinion, they’re wrong. Doesn’t mean someone’s stupid. They’re wrong. Let it go. Don’t take offense.

Let’s go! Proverbs 18:19. Proverbs 18:19 says “An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.” What does that mean? It means if you offend someone, it’s very very hard to make amends. Therefore, you yourself should not be offended.

Don’t, don’t be offended, because you know that if you get offended it’s hard to make amends. And if you offend someone it’s hard to make amends. Now sometimes you can’t help it. You can’t help offending someone, that’s their business whether or not they’re going to take offense. “Oh no offense, but that’s a really stupid idea.” Why would you say something like that?

Of course it’s going to be offending, that was dumb of you to say, because it’s wrong. That was a sin for you to just say that. There are different ways you can say and do things that don’t have to be offensive, that don’t have to be sinful or hurtful to people. Remember, act out of love as Jesus would do.

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes Before Destruction. A haughty spirit before a fall.” Pride. That’s the root of offense. If you’re going to be offended, you’re definitely prideful. Do not be offended. Don’t think malicious thoughts against other people in your anger, because guess what? Those thoughts are going to lead to sin. Remember, thoughts give birth to sin. To terrible deeds, to bad actions.

Let’s go to James Chapter 1, Verses 14 and 15. “But each one is tempted by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And sin when it is fully grown gives birth to death.

So if you’re thinking of ways to get even with someone, or to act in your anger, you have a desire to get back at them. That desire is going to turn into an action, and it is going to turn into sin. Sin turns into death.

So when you are angry or frustrated, channel that frustration for good. Think “What would Jesus do?” and then do that. We have a whole sermon “WWJD”. Check it out in a card up here. Use that to avoid doing things you feel like doing, but that you know wouldn’t be right. Because guess what? Loving those who anger you is the best way to get even with them.

Let’s go to Proverbs 25:22. Proverbs 25:22: “In doing this, you will heap burning coals on their head, and the Lord will reward you.” That means that if you’re being nice and kind to those who anger you, it’s like heaping burning coals on their head, and God rewards you.

Why? What in the world? Because your love can completely change their life. If someone’s being mean to you and you’re being nice to them, maybe it’ll get them to think “Why are they being so nice to me, I’m being horrible to them. I’ve ruined their life and you’re being nice.” Guess what you’re doing? Your kindness has the ability to completely change their life.

They will go from what they know to what they don’t. They will convert from being a horrible mean person, to being a kind person. That is a complete 180. It is something they would never have stood for before. That is the best revenge, and that’s why the Lord rewards you. It’s like heaping burning coals on their head, you’re turning them from evil to good.

You are making them be something completely different than what they would be. By you being nice to them, by being kind, by acting just in your anger. By being righteous in your anger, you have the power to completely change someone’s life for good, by bringing them to God.

So the next time something happens and you become angry, think “Is this a worldly, earthly personal problem, or is this a Kingdom problem coming against the body of Christ.” If it’s a personal earthly worldly problem, forget it. If it’s a Kingdom problem, what are you doing about that anger? How are you going to use that to fuel a passion for doing good, to change the world for Christ.

Let’s pray.

Lord thank you so much for this great message, Thank you for this time together. I pray that each and every person would really take to heart and think about the things that make them angry. What makes them upset. Lord that you would reveal that to them and then give them a revelation, a burning desire and a passion to change it.

That they would know what they are going to do, to stop those things that make them angry. To fight for the kingdom, for you. That they would have you fight for them, and that together the body of Christ would be united and march forward in battle against all of these things that make us angry. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I hope you have a great week. If you have any questions or comments please place them below. God bless.