Psalm 4: Anger’s Greatest Enemy

Read Psalm 4

Anger’s Greatest Enemy

“In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.”
Psalm 4:4

You and I have a lot in common. Really! Not only are we incredibly intelligent, unbelievably likeable and unusually humble, we have a very large capacity for anger.

Have you noticed that lately? Did you find yourself snarling at someone who pushed your hot button this week? Did you experience any road rage, at least in your mind, when you were running late for that appointment and traffic just wasn’t cooperating with your timing? Did you wake up grumpy and snap at the kids or come home tired and verbally abuse your dog?

“No”, you say. Well, perhaps you are the one person on Planet Earth that had an anger-free week!

The truth is, we all experience anger. Anger is a God-given capacity that is common to the human race. But anger itself is not the problem. Both King David and the Apostle Paul taught that it was possible to “Be angry and not sin.” (see also Ephesians 4:26)

It’s when we mishandle anger—that’s the problem. That’s where families get unhealthy, relationships get fractured, jobs get lost, and damage gets inflicted. And the Bible is very clear that we had better learn to control and channel that anger appropriately or not only will we cause some irreparable damage in the here and now, but in the “there and then” we will stand before a righteous God to give account for our unrighteous anger.

“But I tell you anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” (Matthew 5:22)

Here in this psalm, King David described what is arguably the most effective way to manage anger. And what he is recommending is—get this—to practice the rare art of “thinking” when emotions begin to give rise to anger. Seriously, the best antidote to inappropriate anger is to simply think it through…to bring that emotional response of anger, which can be quite unintelligent, obviously, into the realm of the intelligent thought—where it can be appropriately channeled.

The biggest enemy to uncontrolled, destructive anger is your ability to be rational, because destructive anger is stupid. I use the word stupid because it leads you to hurt the very things you should be protecting and preserving. That’s why David’s answer for anger that doesn’t lead to sin was “when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.” In other words, rather than venting, find a quiet moment, calm yourself, hold your tongue, count to ten, and allow your brain the opportunity to do what it does best—think!

So just what is it that you are supposed to think about when you are angry?

First, think about your anger’s potential destructiveness to the people you care about, and to yourself. As Proverbs 29:11 says, only “a fool gives full vent to his anger.”

Second, think about how Satan wants to use your anger to manipulate you for his purposes. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Just remember, every time you give vent to anger, you are opening the vent to Satan’s toxic vapors.

And third, think about the person you are angry with. And whatever else you do, remember that this person is someone who matters very much to your Heavenly Father. They are someone so loved by God that he sacrificed his Son’s life to redeem. They are someone that he has great plans for throughout all eternity. Think about that before you let any angry words fly—and remember that to damage them is to do damage to God.

Since thinking is the greatest antidote to anger, think for a while about what Proverbs 19:11 says: “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is a glory to overlook an offense.”

And don’t forget what David said, “In your anger, do not sin!”

“Violence in the voice is often only the death rattle of reason in the throat.”
—John F. Boyes

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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