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Proverbs 29:11 11 says, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”  I start this week’s column with this scripture because I have been amazed and shocked at the anger that seems to rest like a fog over our nation. This scripture advises us not to get overwhelmed but to learn how to manage the complicated emotions that accompany anger. Like many of you, lately  I’ve watched in disbelief, dismay, disappointment and disgust as politicians have made unethical and unmerciful decisions, fellow citizens have asserted their first amendment rights of free speech to curse and offend others and some have cheered the chaos that now seems to be a part of our daily lives. 

 A few decades ago, Marvin Gaye said that all the trouble in the world made him want to holler and throw up his hands. We may not throw up our hands, but we will post a video online about it. In this digital age of rants about everything from international political issues to bad restaurant experiences, many people want to share their increasingly negative opinions.    Instead of posting, we should be praying!  

 The sad part is that in many of these incidents, the angriest people are also Christians who loudly proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I think that what is at the root of this increase in anger is the increased sense of entitlement. For Christians, dealing with anger becomes even more complicated because some of us believe that God has given us a right to speak the “truth.” The problem is that often we are not speaking God’s truth but our own emotions and opinions. What I don’t understand is how some proudly excuse their angry moments, nonchalantly saying, “I’m just keeping it real,” or “I’m telling it like it is.”

Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.” Some say that holiness is not the biggest challenge for Christians but that it is effectively dealing with the peculiar mixture of anger and guilt that some hide every Sunday as we sit in the pews in church. Often, this anger is hidden in excessive church work, unhealthy eating habits, isolation, disconnection, and promiscuity. Sometimes, the anger comes from frustration and guilt that we feel anger towards a sovereign, loving God and our disagreement with our lives have turned out and how certain things have happened in the world.   

Despite all of the things that are happening in the world and going on around us, we have another choice when faced with anger:  we can use anger as a starting point to challenge sin and injustice, like Jesus did when he overturned the tables in the temple, as described in John 2:14-15.  In some cases, anger can be good because it can lead to repentance and transformation. You can get angry at your life’s circumstances and choose to change. Instead of leaning into anger, we can embrace transformation, and the peace comes from overcoming anger. 

Shewanda Riley is a Dallas, Texas-based author of “Love Hangover: Moving From Pain to Purpose After a Relationship Ends” and “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.” Email her at preservedbypurpose@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @shewanda.

The post Preserved by Purpose: Unrestrained: The Angry Christian  appeared first on Dallas Weekly.