* * * * ANGER ! * * * *
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Anger [ Old Norse, trouble ] excessive “emotion” or feeling aroused by sense of injury or wrong ( whether real or imagined; whether fiscal or mental).
Synonyms, is indignation, resentment, rage, wrath, ire, fury; also temper, irritation, choler, hatred, animosity, and passion. – Winston Dictionary.
Anger is “excessive emotion or feeling.”
Emotion, [Latin emotio (onis)
Emotion is an attribute of the soul, that is to say it is a characteristic or quality of the soul.
Anger is innate (inborn or natural). It was wisely placed within man by the Lord God when He created man, and was placed there to be of great benefit to us. Anger is an attribute of God Himself.
“God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalms 7:11b)
Anger of the Lord is recorded 62 times in the holy scriptures, and probably a hundred and fifty more times where his name does not appear in the same verse.
“The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked…” (Nahum 1:3a)
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18)
Much is said in the scriptures concerning God’s anger, wrath, and fury; but before we wrongfully lay hold on the scriptures concerning God’s wrath, and use it as a blanket to cover our uncontrolled anger (temper); we must first come into the knowledge of the true, just, righteous anger, wrath, and fury of the Lord God Almighty:
For God’s anger from it’s beginning with dis-pleasure, until it’s culmination in fury, can only be understood in the definition of “indignation.”
Indignation, “righteous anger”, which is impersonal and unselfish. – Winston.
With God there is no respect of persons; “For there is no respect of persons with God.” (Romans 2:11) So all of his anger, wrath, fury and judgments are impersonal, which simply means that all of his judgments are against the sins and crimes committed, which things He hates. God does not hate people. He loves them. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;but that the world through him might be saved.”(John3:16-17
“LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generation. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. For we are consumed by thine anger, and be thy wrath are we troubled. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten (70); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore (80) years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.” (Psalms 90: 1,2,7-12)
This verse not only helps us understand God’s anger, but it also helps us to understand His grace; for it tells us of Gods “reverence” – His deep respect, honor, love and affection for man whom He has created.
So the psalm continues; “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalms 90: 1,2,7-12)
All of God’s judgments are tempered with grace, mercy, and kindness, and He does not finalize any judgment (which we call punishment), until all kindness, mercy and grace has been refused by the individual upon which God’s judgment falls. Study the scriptures concerning God’s anger, and you will gain understanding concerning God’s displeasure, anger, wrath, and fury, for it is all “righteous indignation”, which is “impersonal and unselfish”; for it is often written; “they provoked Him, kindled His anger” with their evil corrupt thoughts, words, and deeds: not they themselves, but “their deeds were evil.”
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
If we can understand that the “anger” in God’s nature is “righteous indignation”, which is “”impersonal” and “unselfish”, then we can understand what is the proper balance of “anger” that God has placed within us.
For us to be able to understand this, we must know the meaning of “righteousness.”
Righteous, living according to, or ruled by, the law of God; blameless; virtuous; upright; as, a righteous man.
Synonyms are, good, godly, moral, upright, virtuous, just.
Therefore, if our anger is kindled, we are provoked by “the wrong words or deeds of the individual”, so that our feelings and pent up emotions are directed at the words or deeds, instead of at the individual which has said or done the things by which we are provoked; then is our anger “righteous indignation.” However, if our anger and feeling are toward the individual who has done the wrong, instead of the wrong itself; if our feeling of anger and pent up emotions are leveled at the individual who has wronged us, then our anger is kindled or provoked by “selfishness”; My feelings have been hurt; My pride has been injured; I have been wronged; so my feelings of being because I have been wronged, and I am in the right, and therefore my feeling toward them will not change until they apologize and make amends to my satisfaction. Count the I’s and the words that refer to self in these statements, and tell me, is not all the reasoning of why your are angry because of personal pride. All such thinking is personal, and selfish. Therefore it can not be “righteous indignation. The anger is self centered and not righteous centered.
The proper anger which God has placed within our nature, is placed there for the purpose of “hating” evil (morally bad; wicked; sinful; harmful intentions or purpose; opposite or good).
“The fear (reverence) of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.” (Proverbs 8:13)
Froward, is wilful; disobedient; perverse; ungovernable.
A sincere study of the synonyms will give us a good understanding of our anger, and permit us to know and understand our feelings and actions; to know how anger begins, builds up, and explodes, and will instruct us in how to deal with each stage of anger.
THE STEPS OF ANGER;
(1) Displeasure,
Our anger is first stirred by “displeasure” (those things which displease us) those things that arouses dislike, offends, annoys, and vexes us; things that are distasteful and we disapprove of.
(2) Resent, resentful, resentment;
Resent, [Latin re -, against + sentire, to feel] 1, to consider as an injury or insult; 2, to feel, express, or show anger because of; be indignant (feeling anger at something unworthy, dishonorable or base). At this stage anger is in order and under control, and is justifiable; it is in proper balance.
Resentful, full of displeasure because of a wrong (real or imagined); inclined to consider “yourself” insulted or injured (physically or mentally) it is marked or caused by resentful “temper”. This is the point of anger that we must take inventory; Is our anger at this point “impersonable”, and “unselfish?” For if it is selfish, it is wrong; if it is empersonable it is proper.
Resentment, strong anger or displeasure often with animosity (vehemence, hostility, enmity) because of real or fancied wrong, insult, etc., deep sense of injury or indignation with a feeling of ill will.
Synonyms are offense, rancor, bitterness, anger grudge, spite, animosity, ill will (malice).
Anger has many faces, forms, and moods.
Displeasure is the “smoldering flame” of anger; in resentfulness the flame or “displeasure” begins to “irritate” us;
Irritate, [Latin irritare = to provoke] it irritates, annoys; causes us to fret, and provokes us to wrath.
Synonyms of irritate are vex, annoy, excite, incense, exasperate, provoke, offend, teasel All these are kindling for the fire of anger. Sometimes called “temper.”
Temper, mental disposition, especially with reference to the emotions or passions; a state of “irritation” or anger, or proneness (mentally inclined) to anger.
We usually call these “emotions” by the word “feelings.”
Feeling, possessing or showing a great sensibility; easily affected; 2, the act of “perceiving, which is a sensation received other than through the 5 senses. Synonyms are sense, sensation, sensitiveness, sensibility, sentiment, passion. Feeling is a general term for experience, and may include aspects of perception (the act or ability to become aware of something); observation; It is a mental impression; the power exercised in reacting to sense presentations and modifying them further by attention, interests, previous experience; it is the mental action involved in perceiving.
The means of awareness through bodily perceptions are called the “senses”; These should be distinguished from the intellect and the will which is called “sense”/ Sensation is the physical feeling resulting from the operation of the senses.
(3) Brooding, to meditate long or moodily with on or over angry feelings. To keep thinking about something in a troubled way;
(4) Sullen, Morose, sulky; gloomy; unsociable; ill-humored; as a sullen disposition. Synonyms is surly, splenetic, morose, grim, churlish, gloomy, ill-humored, somber, depressing.
Sullen describes one who is resentfully discontented and openly ill-humored, often to the discomfort of those about him. He is stubbornly silent and centered upon himself. The “surly” and “morose” vent their ill humor upon others in an active rather than a passive way.
Splenetic People are waspish, fretful, sour, and sometimes, malicious.
Grim is applied to the aspect, visage, or nature, and connotes harshness and sternness; as a grim judge.
(5) Wrath, is anger on a large scale, especially when felt by those in superior position: officials over workers; husband over wife; older over younger; stronger over weaker, and etc.
(6) Rage, is a violence of angry feeling that sweeps one away from moderation and control; blindly excited.
(7) Fury, may go beyond control and render the furious person temporarily out of their mind – Temporary insanity.
All of the definitions that we have listed describe “anger” in one form or another, and lets us view it from “displeasure” until it culminates in “fury”.
May we always remember that “proper anger” – true justifiable anger is “indignation” – anger at what is unworthy, dishonorable or base, justifiable anger mingled with contempt or disgust.
In the word “in-dig-nation” it carries with it the thought of “dignity.”
Dignity, [Latin dignitas, worthiness] 1, nobleness; excellence; character which inspires or commands respect; 2, loftiness or stateliness of style or manner.
Righteous indignation is noble, excellent, loftiness and stateliness, because it is a Godlike character; both impersonal and unselfish.
This kind of anger is characteristic of the spirit in its regenerated form. This kind of anger is a characteristic of the spirit, and does not get involved with the fickle feelings of emotions, which are in the soul.
This study was prepair by H. M. (Jack) Drake who has gone on to be with the Lord.
