Should Christians Be Angry?

We place a lot of emphasis on overcoming anger, anger management, dealing with anger, etc. so the question "Should Christians be angry"? seems rhetorical and obvious at first glance.

However, my answer to this question may surprise you!

I think that Christians can be angry, and are supposed to be angry in certain situations. Let me explain.

A while back I made a video on overcoming anger and stress. I got a comment on that video from a Christian brother who asked me: "What about Christ when he was throwing over the tables of the money changers in the Temple? Did he have a right to be angry?"

This really caused me to think and to search the scriptures... finally I realized that we are not only permitted to be angry, but Christians should be angry in certain situations!

In order to manage my own anger and reduce my stress, I had a list of things that make me angry written down already. I went through that list and asked myself:

"Which things are okay for me to be angry about, and which things should I not be angry about?"

Where is the anger sinful, and where is it righteous and correct?

On My Anger List

Here are just a few of the things on my list of things that make me angry that I actually should be angry about...

I should be angry when people disrespect God

I should be angry when people hurt others through their improper beliefs and convictions

I should be angry when I see the suffering of innocent people.

I should be angry when I see social and legal injustices.

I also get angry when people are a bad influence on or example to children, especially when they abuse or hurt children in any way.

These are just a few of the things that should make me righteously angry.

Righteous vs. Sinful Anger?

So what is the difference between righteous and sinful anger?

When we are righteously angry, we are not angry at another person. We are not angry at God. We are not angry at ourselves.

When we are righteously angry, we are angry at sin. When we are angry at sin, our anger is in the right place. When we are angry at Satan and his evil schemes, our anger is in the right place.

If we are angry at someone else, or at God, or with ourselves... our anger is misplaced. We need to put our anger where it belongs, which is on the very thing that separates us human beings from God. And that is sin.

Judging Others?

Christ warns that we are to be merciful to others and not to judge them. After all, we cannot see into their hearts like he can. Someone could look fine at a glance, but have sinful intentions in their hearts. That is not for us to decide.

We can still be angry at sin and Satan without having "Jesus goggles" that allow us to see into people's hearts. Every day, we come into contact with the results of sin in a fallen world. Sin devastates lives, destroys peace, ruins joy and tears apart marriages and relationships.

Acknowledging this and being angry at sin and Satan for all of this pain does not make us judgmental. If we are making every effort through God's grace and the power of Christ's cleansing blood to eradicate sin from our own lives, then being angry at sin does not make us hypocritical.

Where Do We Stand?

Are we as Christians angry at sin? Are we angry about what sin does in our lives and in the lives of our brothers and sisters and the lost souls around us? Are we angry at the sin while still loving the sinner?

I know and pray daily that God will give us the grace to love despite the pain of sin in lives. After all, it is only love that will overcome in the long run.

Here is a prophesy for you: Love wins. Love overcame death to resurrect Christ and give us the hope of eternal life. Love will vanquish sin and the pain that it causes. Those of us who are righteously angry at sin will one day be completely vindicated.

Our anger gives us the courage to act boldly, to resist the devil on every front and to seek God's way of escape in every temptation.

What Now?

Are we angry enough at sin to go on search-and-destroy missions in our own hearts, to root it out, repent for it with sincerity and with sorrow? Because we know how devastating sin can be?

Those who waste their energy being angry about other things only hurt themselves. Misplaced anger is a toxic emotion that only rots us away from the inside and robs us of our peace, joy and fulfillment... both in this life and in the life to come.

Be encouraged! Be angry at sin! Be angry at Satan. Let this anger fuel your resolve and devotion to live the sanctified life to which we are called as children of God.

What makes you angry, Christian? Is it a righteous anger, or is it a selfish, sinful anger?