Can you remember that last time you got mad about something? Did your reaction cause you to do something that you're not proud of? Or were you able to channel it into something positive?
Anger is an emotion that we all feel from one time to another. We can often feel especially annoyed about things because we're passionate about a cause. For example, witnessing or being a victim of injustice can make us feel angry because we're passionate about people being afforded equal rights; and being on the receiving end of someone else's unjustified rage can fill us with indignation.
The Bible warns us about the dangers of anger and this is why some Christians argue that it's an emotion that should be avoided. But as with all emotive responses, it can be an uncontrollable reaction to particular triggers.
We can often feel guilty about being infuriated by events or interactions but this isn't always necessary. Some Christians use the example of Jesus' outburst in the temple (John 2:13-17) as evidence that it's perfectly acceptable for Christians to express this emotion but this incident doesn't give us a complete reflection of his character. (One of the reasons it's such a striking story is because we rarely think of Jesus getting angry because love, not anger, was what he regularly expressed.) We also need to take into account what Jesus was furious about and whether the things that we become passionately displeased about align with the reasons behind Jesus' actions.
Even if they don't, this isn't to say that we are forbidden from being angry altogether or that it is always a sinful emotion. In Ephesians 4:26, Paul writes: "'In your anger do not sin': Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." For me, this is one of the most useful pieces of guidance on anger in the Bible. Outrage isn't forbidden but we're advised on how we should manage it. We shouldn't let it become an excuse for sinful behaviour and we should work to settle the issue which is responsible for the feeling so that we don't remain enraged.
We come across more counsel on dealing with this particular emotion in James 1:19, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry". Again, this strong feeling of annoyance isn't completely prohibited here but it's highlighted that it shouldn't be our immediate response and we should avoid getting angry habitually. When we anger easily the risk that our actions will be negatively defined by this response is higher. Although our anger can form part of an initial drive to affect positive change, sustained anger can lead us to act in contradiction to our principles and beliefs.
I'd argue that it's fine for Christians to be angry in some cases and in others completely necessary but in any case, we should work to ensure that anger isn't our first reaction to every injustice or incident but when it is we should make a conscious effort to channel our anger into something constructive as opposed to letting it fester and lead us to do things that are in contradiction to the principles of our faith.
