There are some excellent, excellent resources out there on anger. In the context of the Sermon on the Mount, we talked about anger this week. A lot of people, including Christians, have "anger issues." They have to learn "anger management." They are taught to understand their anger. I thought this little explanation of anger progression was fantastic in its simplicity. Anger is a reaction to hurt (or any kind, and it doesn't have to be to you for you to hurt). Anger simply happens. The choice comes after the anger:
That is a very easy to follow downward progression that makes a lot of sense. The longer it takes for intervention, the closer one comes to acting on his anger. But as far as Jesus is concerned, the sin occurs long before anger becomes manifest. You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. - Matthew 5:21-22 Using the convention above that anger is simply a reaction to hurt, if we apply that to Jesus' words, the sin occurs when we direct our anger at our brother. Our choice is to make our anger personal, and that is when we start the downward spiral. Anyway, I greatly appreciate that explanation of anger. The problem is - it doesn't really help me. What do I *do* to make that progression not the dominant narrative of my life and reactions? The answer is astonishingly simple, and the upward progression is just as straightforward. If resentment for my hurt is the choice that leads me down the slippery slope, what is my alternative?
The choice is that simple. When we hurt, we choose to forgive. If we cannot forgive, we cannot avoid the downward spiral and we cannot enjoy the upward blessing. Not surprisingly, Jesus is quite clear about this in the Sermon on the Mount. You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love (agape) your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:43-45 Elsewhere, Jesus uses a parable to explain the significance of forgiveness. Essentially, God has forgiven us so much more than we could ever forgive another; if we cannot forgive one another, we certainly don't understand God's forgiveness. But true forgiveness leads to positive action. We cannot say we forgive and still resent. Forgiveness must lead to love, just as God's forgiveness led to His love in Jesus Christ. And Jesus takes it to the extreme - we love our enemy. Our enemy has hurt us, but we do not just forgive, we love. It is that simple. That is how we are the sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. If it were easy, it wouldn't be a big deal. Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. - Matthew 7:13-14 So, what if we hurt for someone else. What if our anger is directed at someone for what has happened elsewhere? We, as mere humans, do not have the authority to forgive on someone else's behalf. We think of the plight of Christians murdered by ISIS, unborn babies murdered in the womb, the elderly being scammed of their savings, accidents caused by drunk drivers, and so on. Those things make me angry. What do I do about that? We have to realize the difference between my hurt for myself and my hurt for someone else. I can (and should) forgive hurt for myself. Hurt for someone else, as long as it has biblical sanction, leads to righteous anger, much as God has for injustice in this life. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world. We, as Christians, have a responsibility to look after the well-being of those who do not have the opportunity or ability to care for themselves. We *are* to act to end the cause of their hurt. But we must constantly examine our motives and our actions. The New Testament gives us some very clear guidelines on what we can and cannot do.
This is a different category of hurt and anger, and we must recognize that.
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