Having The Right Type Of Anger

Is there such a thing as the right type of anger in Christianity? Absolutely! There are two types of anger: one that leads to sin, resulting in dire consequences and glorifying the devil, and another that disrupts Satan’s work, giving glory and honor to God. I am referring to sinful anger versus righteous anger. Today, we will explore both types to ensure that we are using the appropriate kind of anger when necessary. We will examine two passages of scripture that highlight the differences between these two forms of anger.

Let’s first examine Numbers 20:10-12, which states: “Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, ‘Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?’ And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice. Water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, along with their livestock. The Lord then said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in Me and did not uphold Me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’”

The next scripture is John 2:13-16: “Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, as well as the money changers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, along with the sheep and the oxen. He poured out the changers' money and overturned their tables. And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

**Sinful Anger**

Reflecting on the history of the Israelites, we can see that during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, they consistently grieved God with their complaining, nagging, and sinful behavior. Despite this, God showed them mercy time and again because they were His chosen people, whom He loved dearly.

On one occasion, while they were in the wilderness of Zin, the people gathered around Moses and Aaron, once again expressing their complaints about thirst and the lack of water. In verse 3 of Numbers 20, they said to Moses, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the Lord! Why have you brought the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.”

Moses and Aaron then left the assembly to seek guidance from the Lord. In verse 8, God instructs Moses with the following directive: “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.” So, you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” And so Moses took the staff as the Lord had commanded him to do and then he gathered the people together, but instead of following the instruction to the letter, meaning speaking the rock, what did Moses do, verses 10-11 reveals he struck the rock not once, but twice instead and not after giving them a piece of his mind with the statement out of frustration , “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?”

The Lord immediately responds to Moses in verse 12 and pronounced his judgement upon Him as a result of Moses actions. Beloved, there are dire consequences for the actions we take. God loved Moses, no doubt, He chose him as the deliverer for His people and He continued to use Moses until the end of his days, but it didn’t stop the Lord from chastising him. The word of God tells us in Proverbs 3:12 and Hebrews 11:6 that He disciplines those He love.

Moses experienced sinful anger, and the consequences were profound. The promised land he longed to see was taken from him; a stark reminder of how destructive uncontrolled anger can be. We have much to learn from Moses’ journey. Consider Cain, whose jealousy-fueled anger led him to tragically kill his brother Abel. Similarly, Saul’s envy drove him to attempt to take David’s life on multiple occasions. Joseph's brothers, overwhelmed by jealousy, plotted against him and ultimately sold him into slavery. These stories illustrate a clear truth: anger rooted in jealousy only leads to regret and heartache.

**Righteous Anger**

Beloved, the Bible acknowledges that while feeling anger can be normal, it often stems from selfish intent. Ephesians 4:26 states, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” This verse teaches us that it’s acceptable to feel anger, but we shouldn’t allow it to overwhelm us to the point where we go to bed angry. Righteous anger, on the other hand, is about standing up for what is right. I once came across a definition of righteous anger: it is the grief we feel over sin when we witness an offense against God or His Word. This type of anger also applies to offenses against God's creation, His works, and everything He has established for the good of humanity.