Anger is NOT a Sin

Over the years, I have sat with many God-fearing and devout individuals who found themselves stuck or struggling because of false beliefs. I have been forced to confront the consequences of issues like abuse, neglect, abandonment, or loss. Addiction, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and brokenness are only a few of the consequences that have entered my office in need of attention. In nearly all cases, the path from cause to consequence was paved by the creation of false belief. It is crucial as we proceed to understand that we are talking about Bible-believing Christians who recognize the power and centrality of Scripture in their lives. We are not talking about non-believers moving through a secular world grasping for any answer other than God to satisfy their needs. These are individuals who have access to the God of all creation with his truth at their fingertips. If you have followed any of my other compositions over the years, you already know that an evaluation of rates of consequences like depression, anxiety, divorce, and even suicide is only marginally better within the Christian community compared to the secular. Despite having truth and guidance at their fingertips, many Christians still struggle as if they were living apart from Christ. There are multiple reasons why this is the case; however, I want to focus on one specific cause for this phenomenon: false belief, specifically false belief in Scripture.

I was recently presented with a question regarding anger as a Christian that exemplified this issue, and it revolves around a false narrative that has been pushed into the minds of many believers. Many Christians are walking around in bondage and anxiety because they have been taught to believe that anger is a sin. Ephesians 4:26 is frequently used regarding anger, famously instructing not to let your anger cause you to sin. This is probably where the disconnect begins for many, as it does not call anger sin, but many take it to mean that. In fact, a proper understanding of the text and its context reveals that it assumes anger as a normal human emotion regularly experienced in life, not a sinful experience. Delving deeper into this fallacy, the width and depth of this problematic belief is stunning, as its implications, when traced, lead to the erosion of foundational Christian belief. In Matthew 21 and Mark 11, Jesus is recorded as being angry at the treatment of the Temple as a place of commerce and dishonesty. His anger leads him to cleanse the temple by flipping tables and fashioning a whip. If it is a sin to be angry, then Jesus just sinned and, as a result, is no longer the sinless sacrifice required for salvation. Beyond that, if anger itself is a sin, then Jesus is a liar and a heretic, not the Messiah, and is rather a regular man who is not worthy of veneration. Going beyond Jesus the Son, to God the Father, the Book of Genesis chapters 6-9 record the flood of the Earth according to God’s righteous anger, and later in Chapter 19 the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are numerous other examples of God expressing righteous anger, but the fact remains that if anger is a sin, both God the Father and God the Son are not perfect and sinless, but rather fallible. To hold the belief that anger is a sin is to hold that God, Jesus, the Bible, and all of creation are in contradiction with one another and incapable of withstanding scrutiny. Matthew 12:25 states that a house divided against itself can not stand. The fact that God, Jesus, the Bible, and Christianity are still standing, not divided and impervious to scrutiny, illuminates the belief that anger is a sin is a fallacy and must be cast aside for correction.

If Anger Is Not A Sin As Many Have Falsely Believed, What Is It?

 Anger, like any other emotion, is an indicator of what is going on underneath the hood of life. Emotions are the warning lights on the dash of our lives. They let us know what is going on in the depths of our person, bringing understandings of experiences that, without the enlightenment brought by emotions, would go unchecked, with unhealthy consequences. In the case of anger, it is the alert that something has occurred or is occurring that has been harsh, traumatic, or unsettling, requiring recognition and action to bring correction. As Ephesians 4:26 alludes to, you will experience anger; it is a normal part of life. The question is what will you do with it? Will you push it down, ignoring it until it festers and erupts onto others like a bubbling volcano of rage? Will you internalize it and become apathetic and depressed, believing you are the problem rather than the event, influence, or situation that elicited your anger in the first place? Or will you use that anger as a catalyst for exploration, correction, and growth in your life and relationships with others?  Emotions are there to inform us of what is going on so that we can take steps towards restoration and maturation.

How Do I Process My Anger?

The way you deal with any emotion, especially anger, is through constructive processing. I think we all can agree that holding our anger in until we burst is not healthy, but the reality is for most there is a pressure that needs to be released. Imagine for a second a bottle of your favorite soda. You pull it out of the refrigerator, and before you open it, you vigorously shake it. History, life experience, and YouTube tell us that to open the lid of that soda in a normal fashion anytime soon is going to lead to an explosive and sticky experience. The way we deal with emotions, anger included, is not much different than that bottle of soda. There is pressure within that soda that needs to be released wisely and constructively, or you will have a mess on your hands. In the same way, some pressures build up as we walk through life that need to be handled before we cause a mess in our lives and relationships. Emotions like the pressure in the bottle alert us to the need to cautiously and intentionally process and release the pressure within. With the soda bottle, this means slowly cracking open the seal, allowing small amounts of pressure to escape, and closing it before the pressure overwhelms the crack and spews out. This process continues until the bottle can be safely opened and the contents enjoyed. For us, it means releasing small amounts of our hurt, anger, anxiety, confusion, and pressure through constructive means. Many have found journaling to be extremely helpful in this endeavor as it allows them to simultaneously process and release emotions and explore their root cause. Painting, writing music, woodworking, and other creative outlets are also helpful as they all incorporate the same portion of the brain that holds and interprets emotion. Physical activity is also a constructive way to process through emotional pressure and its cause. While emotion may not initially appear to be physical, the effects of emotion certainly do have a physical address that requires recognition and incorporation to achieve the desired relief and restoration. This is why working out or going for a run are regularly stated as having an impact on the restoration of balance and peace within the individual.

I have Dealt with my Emotional pressure and inputs; now what?

Having relieved pressure and constructively worked through your emotions, it is time to address the causes of your emotional reactions. Most of the time, when dealing with anger, this means setting up proactive measures to deal with unhealthy or troubling inputs. This may mean setting boundaries in relationships or in professional settings to address patterns of dysfunction or brokenness. It could mean limiting access to certain events, activities, or products because of what comes from interaction with those things. It may also require you to develop coping strategies to handle situations you can not control healthily and efficiently.

For far too long, emotions have been pushed aside, ignored, or categorized as sinful, when in reality they are tools of maturity and health. It is impossible to live and operate healthily without embracing and utilizing God’s intentional design for emotions. Many Christians like the one who prompted this discussion have found themselves prisoners of their own false beliefs, believing that their emotions and processes of restoration are a sin. This fallacy must be corrected if the Church and its members are going to operate efficiently as God designed. Beginning in the pulpit and permeating through the bloodline of believers, it must be recognized that emotions are not a sin but rather a purposeful tool from God. With that understanding, we can see clearly that the problem we face today is not emotional but rather psychological, as false belief has equated unchecked and misunderstood emotions that lead to sinful actions as a consequence of emotion instead of a consequence of missed warnings and inaction to deal with a root cause. As Christians and leaders, we must do a better job of understanding God’s whole design within mankind and teach, preach, and disciple in accordance.