Anger Is Destructive

“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning... Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the grafted word which is able to save your souls” (James 1 16-23).

So do not rush to the so-called pastors to remove the so-called demon of anger in which the majority of churchgoers in denominational churches believe. They think anger in man comes from a demon which, they say, is a fallen angel and supporter of Satan. They also believe that satan was a fallen archangel who opposes God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters, let us not entertain such unbiblical doctrines when the Bible says “blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him”.

But let us receive the word with meekness, that is, with a teachable, humble mind, a contrite heart, the engrafted word which is able to save your soul (the soul is not just a part of you, but the whole of you), Your soul includes your legs, arms, eyes, head, nails, hair, tongue, flesh and blood. The soul is not a spirit living inside you which flies to heaven as the denominational churches say. The soul is the ‘whole you.’

Only the word of God can save you because the word of God gives you true knowledge that will make you understand God’s plan for the salvation of men and women from sin and death.

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth” (James 3:13-14). So, brothers and sisters, let us be as meek as possible, although we may not attain the meekness of Moses who was very meek above all men which were upon the face of the earth in his life time (Numbers 12:3). We are able to be meek in Christ.

It is possible to say that Moses was a man who displayed anger, as when he looked this way and that and saw no-one, so he slew an Egyptian and hid the body in the sand (Gen 2:12). Also when Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock twice so that water came out abundantly and the congregation and their beasts drank abundantly. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, his brother: “Because ye believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them” (Num 20:11,12.

So we can see how serious it is to not be angry even when doing the Lord’s work. There is always God’s hand disciplining us. My honest appeal to my brothers and sisters worldwide is that we should pray to our heavenly Father to increase our faith. In most cases those who get angry doubt that God is in control of their lives even in trials and difficult times of life when things seem not to be in favour with them, or in illness or bereavement.

I have personally learnt this hard lesson and out of this lesson, God’s hand has humbled me, but how did I know that God was in control of my life? It was through daily reading and meditating on the word, the holy scriptures. Moses is said to have been the first person God used to write the first five books of the Old Testament. He only did that because he was meek and learnt from God and so did our Lord Jesus Christ, for he was meek (God, his Father, taught him) from childhood. We are taught in the Bible that the meek (those who are teachable in the scriptures) will inherit the earth (Matt 5:5). They shall increase their joy (Is 29:19) and bring good tidings to the meek (Is 61:1). God desires a meek and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4) with the ability to learn the things of God without doubting. This is the true faith of the children of God that they should follow after meekness (1 Tim 6:11). In meekness we should instruct our weak brothers and sisters, but not with an angry mind (2 Tim 2:25). We should be able to show the reason of our hope with meekness (1 Peter 3:15).

Anger is not fitting for the children of God since our heavenly Father loves us. He disciplines us for being angry when doing His work in the ecclesia. We should not even envy those to whom God has given certain talents, because all good things come from above, if we do, the Lord’s hand can discipline us. Who are we to question why the Lord has chastened us? God’s discipline is for our good to help us destroy the flesh and save the spirit, or rather to kill the natural sinful desires and create in us a new creation that is part of His son Jesus Christ’s stature. The purpose is that we may have the mind and character of our Lord Jesus Christ fit for those who will attain immortality and inherit the kingdom.

It is our ambition that we lead a quiet life minding our own business so that our lives may win the respect of those who are of this corrupt generation (1 Thes 4:11). We should therefore participate in our politics and campaign to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God and His son Jesus Christ which He will set up on this earth soon after the return of the Lord Jesus. We are citizens and, above all, kings and priests with Jesus Christ in that kingdom for 1000 years, ruling the nations. What wonderful prospects! So our goal is not selfish desires and vainglory or self-aggrandisement, boasting and desiring to be rich while we are living in this corrupt world, but to share the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. For on the cross, he saved us and himself when he overcame the devil (the sinful nature that was in him) by never sinning. He is truly our representative to God. He is the Mediator between us, his flock who believe and are baptised in his name, and God his Father. For there is no other name who can be our advocate in heaven before God the Father. He died for our sins once for all. All we need is to draw near to him meekly and learn of him as his disciples (students) or, rather, followers.

So let us strive by faith to avoid anger, for anger in man is destructive to our ecclesias and our families. Anger has contributed in a major way to stumbling-blocks in families and ecclesias. We are admonished to be slow to anger because, truly, in human beings, anger rests in the bosom of fools (Eccl 7:19). We should put off anger, wrath, malice, drunkenness and other vices (Col 3:8). Do not be angry with your brother or sister in Christ or even your wife, husband or children (Matt 5:22) but when you become angry, then do not sin (Eph 4:26).

Bro Reuben Kaambeu (Kabompo, Zambia)