Anger

Ephesians 4:25-32
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Matthew 5: 1-12
The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,
2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

"Be angry but do not sin."
Anger is often our friend, our helper, if we’ll listen to it correctly, and not let it become our Dictator. It can be our guide but not our dictator.
It warns us of a possible danger & motivates you to take the appropriate action. It’s a warning sign that something is probably wrong & it’s time to take a look.

We feel anger when we feel threaten, especially when we feel we’re in danger of a physical attack. We feel anger when we feel wronged or violated. We often feel anger when we feel that our goals are being blocked. We usually feel anger when we have been demeaned, devalued, or treated unfairly. We feel angry when we’ve been taking advantage of. So for these & other reasons, you can see why it’s not sin to be angry. There’s nothing unspiritual about being angry when you’ve wronged or taking advantage of. In fact, people who never get angry, who block off this one emotion, are at a disadvantage sometimes. They may be prone to allowing others to take advantage of them time & time again because there’s no anger there to put a stop to it. Anger is self-protecting and therefore helpful if we take it as a warning sign.

Uncontrolled venting of anger doesn’t diminish the anger within, it increases it. That’s what makes it so dangerous. We have to manage it, not just vent it uncontrollably. Anger builds on anger. And Unbridled Anger causes a lot pain. It also causes a lot of distance in relationships.

Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." Meekness is not a popular or attractive word today.
The common understanding is one of weakness, wimpiness, spineless -- unable to stand up for one’s self. But the Greek word that Jesus used here, praus, means something different entirely. It means strength & power under control. The word was used to describe an animal that had been tamed or domesticated. For instance when a horse had been broken in and became obedient to the reins, it was said to be praus, meek. When a sheep dog had been trained to respond to the shepherd’s commands and use its enormous energy to herd the sheep, the sheep dog was said to be praus, meek.
Strength, talent & power under control. That’s where we want to be with our emotions and our anger. Be angry but do not sin.

"Anyone can become angry - that is easy.
But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - this is not easy." Aristotle