When I was a teen ager. I found myself having to work in the schools office. I experienced my friends telling me I was kissing up to the administration. That I was just trying to be something I wasn't. However, what they didn't know is that I had a stalker after me for two years. For two years I had phone calls at my part-time employment that paid for cheerleading and all my extra curriculum activities. I was extremely active, however I didn't date much. Two years this person called me at home, work and I couldn't figure out who it was. I was robbed at gunpoint twice at work. I made police reports. I then quite that workplace to be employed by the Yellow pages. I loved that work. Why because they locked the door and had security their. My mom had divorced my dad and I was trying my best to deal with that let alone the man stalking me. Only one high school friend knew the truth about the man stalking me that turned out to be another student. The found him when he started calling me when I was working in the principal's office. Instead of turning himself in, he attempted suicide. Then it got my whole family involved. This high school student and his girlfriend, went with me for my last visit with this young man. I know it sounds strange, his mother pleaded with my parents and asked if I could help by not saying any negative or reality things to him until it was out of trouble.
After high school the school administrators offered me employment and I took it. Why because they knew the situation. I was so grateful to them. I was able to tell the administrators what had happen when the phone calls started again. They finally caught the man. Why am I writing about this because I was serving at church once and I got asked to be serve in high school ministry.
That is the only time I remember freaking out! I couldn't explain why. I didn't consciously know why. I said No! Resigned from serving. It was years I didn't ever what to relieve. However, I must be doing that today because I am writing this blog. May you be blessed my my experience and know their is righteous anger that stops you from serving even if it is in a church.
If it were not for those administrators, my friends that I reported to everyday after school. I would never have graduated from college. Still to this day, my mom resents I graduated from college. My dad who has passed away would have been proud...it was the promise I made to him on his death bed. He made me promise I would graduate from university. I thank God for him daily.
I grew up believing anger was a "bad" emotion. So I've needed several years of Christian counseling even to admit I get angry, much less to learn I can express those feelings righteously! Thankfully, God's Word sets clear parameters for getting peeved.
What does God say about this? The bad news for hotheads is that Scripture contains many more verses warning believers against blowing their cool than verses advocating such behavior. The writer of Proverbs connects anger with foolishness: "Fools quickly show that they are upset, but the wise ignore insults" (Proverbs 12:16, NCV). And the apostle Paul recommends letting our heavenly Father fight our battles: "My friends, do not try to punish others when they wrong you, but wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: 'I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:19, NCV).
Sometimes, however, God allows his people to fuss and remain faithful. Such is the case when King David furrows his brow and huffs:
God, I wish you would kill the wicked!
Get away from me, you murderers!
They say evil things about you.
Your enemies use your name thoughtlessly.
Lord, I hate those who hate you;
I hate those who rise up against you.
I feel only hate for them;
they are my enemies (Psalm 139:19–22, NCV).
Or when Nehemiah gets upset after learning about the wealthy Israelites' exploitation of the poor: "Then I was very angry when I had heard … these words" (Nehemiah 5:6, NASB).
What's noteworthy in these situations is that David called down curses on sworn enemies of God, and Nehemiah directed his irritation at the "haves" repressing the "have-nots." Both men were angry because of ungodly people or activities.
And Jesus expressed anger—at the Pharisees who exhibited such hard hearts (
Mark 3:1-5) and at the crass commercialism that sullied the temple (
Matthew 21:12-13;
Luke 19:45-48)—to convey extreme displeasure over sin. Those reasons are the key to righteous anger.
How does this affect me? As Christ-followers, we're totally appropriate getting upset over sin, too. Evils such as abuse, racism, pornography, and child sex trafficking should incense us.
But no matter how reprehensible the people or activities we're condemning, we still aren't justified to sin in our responses: "When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day" (Ephesians 4:26, NCV). Those of us with confrontational personalities might want to ask ourselves the question, Is my motive to be right or to be righteous? before ripping into the offending parties.
Such considerations also help us be pokey in getting peeved: "Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:19–20, ESV). Instead of replying immediately, simply counting to ten before reacting usually leads to much better results in a contentious situation.
Then after we take offense, we should take redemptive action. Christians must get involved with organizations working to free children from slavery and volunteer at shelters working to protect battered women. We must lead the charge against hatred and oppression and cruelty!
Ultimately, if our outrage results in restoring people into loving, healing relationships with Jesus, it's righteous anger.
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