The Up and Down Side of

Jas 1:19-20

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (20) Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

The Upside of Anger

• Psa 7:11 God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.

• Mar 3:5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!

The Upside of Anger

• Passion, Energy• Agitated, Boiling• Anger can be a God-given energy intended to

help us solve problems• Paul and Peter Gal 2:11-14• Jesus in the Temple John 2:13-18• Defence of a person or principle not of self.

The Downside of Anger

• Jas 1:20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.

• Anger can come from Selfish Motivation

• Anger can distort the truth

• Anger can linger too long

• Anger attacks the person not the problem

The Downside of Anger• Believers - “Instead, we will speak the truth in love,

growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of His body, the church” Eph 4:15.

• The Fallen - "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies." "Snake venom drips from their lips." (14) "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."Rom 3:13-14

• “Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.” Pro 29:11

• Eph 4:26-27 And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, (27) for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

The Downside of Anger

Overcoming Anger

• Confession– Pro 28:13 People who conceal their sins will not

prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

• See God in the test– Gen 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God

intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Overcoming Anger

• Make Room for God’s Wrath– Rom 12:19 Dear friends, never take revenge.

Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, "I will take revenge; I will pay them back," says the LORD.

• Practice the opposite spirit– Pro 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a

harsh word stirs up anger.

Problem Solving Communication

• Eph 4:15,25-32

• Be Honest and Speak

• Stay Current

• Attack the problem not the person

• Act, not react