How Not to Respond to Sinful Anger

A few years ago, I completed my training certification for biblical counseling with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (or ACBC). As part of that training, I had the joy of traveling to Ozark, MO to sit under the tutelage of Kevin Carson and Bill Piatt at Sonrise Biblical Counseling. It was a delight to be taught counseling methodology, gather information on the differences between worldy counseling philosophies and biblical counseling, the use of medication, etc.

Some of my favorite sessions were the ones giving a bird’s eye view of common counseling problems – like depression, worry, death, marriage, etc. And the one that I have returned more often than the others in my counseling, preaching and for others helps was the seminar on anger.

A resource given to us, and the one I am about to paraphrase, was a handout on how to NOT handle our sinful anger. There is such thing as righteous anger, but we don’t usually get counseling for that. We need help for the sinful anger, and there are a number of wring ways to respond to our sinful anger. Here are 12 wrong responses.

1. Do not admit you are angry (Eph 4:26-27).

2. Get even with the one(s) who led you to anger (Prov 6:34).

3. Be foolish (Prov 14:17).

4. Distort as many facts as you can (Prov 14:29).

5. Stir up others to be angry (Prov 15:1, 18).

6. Be hard to live with (Prov 16:14).

7. Do not rule your own spirit (Prov 16:32).

8. Be angry often (Prov 19:19).

9. Bring others harm when they are with you (Prov 22:24-25).

10. Be destructive (Prov 27:4).

11. Devour others, like a dog (Gal 5:15).

12. Seek revenge (Rom 12:17-21).

Instead, we must be slow to anger, self-controlled, loving, kind and patient with all.