Anger
by Christine Ramsey

"Be angry, but sin not." (Ps 4:4) Sounds contradictory, doesn't it? Is it really possible to experience anger but not offend God?

Anger is a God-given emotion which is neither good nor evil. Ideally, its purpose is to motivate us to action so we can overcome obstacles or right some wrong. It is our instinctive reaction when our sense of justice or dignity is offended.
THere is such a thing as just anger, when, for example, Jesus drove the moneychangers from the Temple precincts. In fact, sometimes it might be wrong not to get angry.
Anger becomes a sin when it opposes love and justice. It can give us problems because of its intensity (growing andgrier than the situation warrants or losing control), its object (yelling at the kids when we are really angry at our neighbor), or its cause (getting angry when our boss corrects us for something we did wrong.)
We need to make a three-pronged attack on unjust anger. First, we should learn what sets us off, so we can anticipate difficulties and temptations before they're upon us. This way we can either avoid the situations that put us in danger of sinning or know how to handle ourselves when we can't avoid them. Second, because pride is often at the root of unjust anger, humility, patience and meekness cut it off at its source.

Growth in these three virtues provides a strong remedy for the vice of anger. Finally, we should fervently strive for love, for "Love is patient...and does not take offense." (1 Cor. 13:4)