Bulletin

WARNING: Anger Can Be Dangerous to Our Health
Bob Bauer

Anger can make us do some foolish things. The Arizona Republic (4/25/95) reported that when Steve Tran of Westminster, California, closed the door on 25 activated bug bombs, he thought he had seen the last of the cockroaches that shared his apartment. When the spray reached the pilot light of the stove, it ignited, blasting his screen door across the street, breaking all his windows, and setting his furniture ablaze. "I really wanted to kill all of them," he said. "I thought if I used a lot more, it would last longer." According to the label, just two canisters of the fumigant would have solved Tran's roach problem. The blast caused over $10,000 damage to his apartment building. And the cockroaches? Tran reported, "By Sunday, I saw them walking around." Maybe you have never blown up your home when you were angry but if you are like most everyone else you have done other things almost as foolish.

The Bible says a lot about anger. It mostly speaks of two types of anger, the anger that quickly blazes up and just as quickly subsides and the type of anger which is the slow burn, revenge seeking kind of anger. Obviously both can be very dangerous to our spiritual well being. The Bible tells us that anger may cause us to do some foolish things like the one previously mentioned: "A quick-tempered man acts foolishly" (Proverbs 14:17 NKJV) and "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly" (Proverbs 14:29 RSV). It also tells us that anger stirs up strife: "A hot-tempered man stirs up strife" (Proverbs 15:18 RSV). Ask any family in which lives a person who has a temper if their family life is peaceful or stressful. We are also told not to make friends with the person who is prone to anger for our own soul's sake. "Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul" (Proverbs 22: 24-25 NKJV).

The Bible also tells us that anger can be controlled. "The beginning of strife is like letting out water; so quit before the quarrel breaks out" (Proverbs 17:14 RSV). In other words, learn to overlook those things which would cause you to become angry. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1 RSV). Learn to respond to what may irritate you with a peaceful attitude and tone of voice. The apostle Paul wrote, "Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26 NKJV). If you do become angry do not let it escalate to the point were you might sin plus also hurry to reconcile the situation as quickly as possible. James tells us of another way to avoid becoming angry or letting our anger reach an uncontrollable level. "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20 NKJV). Parents use this principle all the time. We call it counting to ten, twenty, etc. before dealing with a misbehaving child. Putting these godly principles into effect in our lives will help us to control our anger.

Most all of us can look back on our lives and remember doing something very foolish during times of anger. It may not be quite as wild as what Steve Tran did but it might have been breaking a toe as we kicked out in anger or locking the keys in our car because we were bickering with our spouse and forgot to grab them before we closed the car door. Usually, if we would be honest with ourselves, most of the things we may become angry about are not all that important in the long run and often are things which we must deal with continually. Like in the story, the roaches were back a few days later. Therefore, since that which angers us often remains, it is essential that each of us learn to control our anger. "Good sense makes a man slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense" (Proverbs 19:11 RSV).