Do you ever get so angry you could scream? Traffic, kids, work, marriage, any one of those areas or a hundred others could be the point of aggravation. Do you know it’s okay to get angry? James wrote, “In your anger do not sin” (James 4:26). That means there’s appropriate and inappropriate anger.
Like most everything, there are healthy boundaries, even with anger. Getting so angry you could scream may borderline on the edge.
Do you know how to keep others from being angry with you? It’s a lesson we all need to learn. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” For instance, there are at least two ways to say “No”. I can always tell which one my wife is using by the tone of her voice. She can either say “NO!”, or “No”. When she says “NO!”, I’m intelligent enough not to pursue the conversation. On the other hand, when she asks me a question and I’m so busy that I don’t want to be disturbed, I can either say, “What?”, or “WHAT?”. If I yell a sharp “WHAT?”, troubles brewing.
Do you see how this works? A gentle answer is soothing, and will invite the same in return. A harsh word stirs up anger, boils the blood, lights the fire, and is generally not a wise thing to do.
Another Proverb helps explain the first, “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel” (Proverbs 15:18). If we determine to patiently speak to others we can stop problems before they happen. On the other hand, if we have a hot-temper, we’re going to pay for it. Isn’t the Bible practical? Don’t you wish you were as practical as it? With practice, you can be.
It may take some tongue-biting to develop the gentle patient ability to answer others calmly. It would be too simplistic to say this is what the world needs now. But It is what you and I need now. We need it in our families, at work, in traffic, and when someone asks us if we’re gaining weight. Come on, you know you’d be a happier person if you always gave a gentle answer.
In your anger do not sin!