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This week in our study, Karissa talked about anger, encouraging us to slow down and ask ourselves, “Which part of this anger is selfish, and what part is righteous?” As that got me thinking, I decided to dig into God’s Word to see what He has to say about anger.

Paul writes in Ephesians, “’In your anger do not sin.’ Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26-27, NIV). Paul is actually quoting Psalm 4:4 here. The full verse says, “Tremble [in your anger] and do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer the sacrifices of the righteous and trust in the Lord.” (Psalm 4:4-5, NIV).

So, by this, and also because God Himself has been angry at times, we know that anger is natural. It’s a human emotion, and although it’s often driven by selfish motives, there are times when our anger is righteous.

Let’s look at an example of righteous anger. In Mark 3:5, we see Jesus getting angry. “He [Jesus] looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.” (Mark 3:5, NIV). Here, Jesus was angry because of the stubbornness in the hearts of the religious leaders, but His anger was paired with deep distress over their hardness. It was righteous anger directed at sin, not at the people themselves.

Now, if you’re wondering how to figure out whether your anger is righteous or just coming from a selfish place, here are a few things to think about:

• • Righteous anger is directed at sin. Jesus was angry because of the stubbornness of their hearts. Our anger should be aimed at sin and injustice, not at individuals or situations that simply inconvenience us.
  • Righteous anger is coupled with sorrow. Notice that Jesus wasn’t just angry; He was deeply distressed. If our anger is truly righteous, we should also feel sorrow over the sin and the harm it causes. If we’re putting others down or mocking them because of their sin, we might not be grieving sin the way we should be.
  • Righteous anger isn’t self-centered. It’s natural to feel angry when we’re personally wronged, especially in cases of severe injustice. But righteous anger seeks justice and healing, not revenge. It acknowledges the wrong but desires restoration and righteousness according to God’s will.
  •  Righteous anger aligns with the fruit of the Spirit. This one is key. True righteous anger will align with the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We should never use righteous anger as an excuse to be unkind. Anger should never lead to sinful actions or attitudes, and it should always reflect God’s character. Ouch, this one really spoke to me as I think about all of the times I’ve bruised and battered my fruit for the sake of my pride.

This week in our Facebook group, Chastity Teeter shared a thought about anger along with this quote: “He who angers you controls you.” She went on to add, “This is so true when you think of the bigger picture and how it can create some major issues and ultimately damage our witness or testimony.”

I love John Piper’s thoughts on this topic as he highlights two important things. The first is that he says, “There is such a thing as righteous anger, but it is really rare, I think, and therefore, James says, ‘Be slow to go there — very, very slow to get there.’”

In the same article, John Piper goes on to say, “So, the very least we can say from James is that if anger should come, it should come slowly — not necessarily temporally slowly, though that’s probably the case ordinarily, but rather in this sense: It’s got to go through some real serious filters in your soul. It’s got to go through the filter of humility, and through the filter of patience, and through the filter of wisdom, and through the filter of love, and through the filter of self-control. And if it comes out on the other side, it might be righteous anger. It should be slow in the sense that you put it through the paces. Don’t just go there.”

I’d also add that there’s a line between righteous anger and selfish anger that’s often easily blurred. What might start out as anger directed at sin or injustice has the potential to transition to sin. Remember Ephesians 4:27 says, “Do not give the devil a foothold,” so, while we stand up for injustice, we need to be careful that we’re not carried away by temptation, ignoring the character of Christ, which is the standard we live by.

Paul tells us, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” In other words, don’t hold onto your anger, tossing and turning all night, letting your thoughts go to places they shouldn’t. Instead of letting our anger fester, we need to surrender our frustration to God. We need to ask Him to soften our hearts, replace our anger with patience, and our bitterness with forgiveness and grace.

Righteous anger seeks justice with a heart of compassion, leaving the final judgment in the hands of God. As Romans 12:19 reminds us, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” 

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