Love is NOT Easily Angered

So, it sounds a lot like patience...but, alas...it's not.

anger: a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence.

belligerence: a warlike or aggressively hostile nature; the act of carrying on war; warfare.

Uh, yeah. That's right. Anger is like carrying on warfare. This surprised me too. O_O

My little brother used to have an AWFUL anger problem as a kiddie. I mean, when he got upset...he got UPSET. Not only was his temper huge, but it wasn't even big stuff that he got angry about. It could be anything from having to use the tee in T-ball practice to having to eat vegetables. He was incredibly easily angered. He's gotten WAYYYYY better. Being even-tempered is not something that you are born with. It's something that you have to learn.

Let's look at Potiphar. Remember him? He was the Pharaoh's officer and the captain of the guard((Genesis 37:36)). Check out Genesis 39. What's happened is that Joseph(the Dreamer[Genesis 37:19]) has been sold into slavery in Egypt and ended up in Potiphar's house. Apparently, Joseph was pretty darn attractive((Genesis 39:6b)), and that's one of the reasons that this problem came about. The problem was that Potiphar's wife found Joseph attracted, and was constantly trying to seduce him((Genesis 39:7, 10)). Now, Joseph IS a guy, and I imagine that did wonders for his ego, but after awhile, it probably wore him down spiritually. He kept refusing her((Genesis 39:10b)), and she ended up framing him for rape.

Well, Potiphar was upset. In fact, his anger BURNED((Genesis 39:19b)). This wasn't a little thing. His wife was claiming to have been raped by his right hand guy. Even though he was angry...he put Joseph in the King's prison(which is better than normal prison, conditions-wise). Why? Dr. Bruson said that it was because Potiphar knew Joseph's character...and he also knew his wife.

It's not wrong to be angry. When the anger takes over and makes you want to sin or gives you a hate for someone else...that's when it becomes wrong. Jesus got angry too. Remember the story of the tax collectors in the temple?? ((Matthew 21:12-13)) Well, I'd say that that was a legitimate reason to get angry. The tax collectors had turned the "House of Prayer" into a "den of robbers".

((Matthew 5:22a)) "Whoever is angry at his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." One day, we're all going to be judged. There is a difference between "the judgment" and being judged. If you're saved, God will judge you on how you lived your life for Him(or didn't). The judgment is talking about whether you're going to Heaven or hell(and it's hell if you're not saved. Sorry. But that's the truth. John 5:24)). Being angry without a cause...being angry just to be angry...It doesn't automatically mean you're going to hell. It doesn't automatically mean you're not saved. When you ARE saved, you gain joy((Psalm 21:6)). So generally, you're not angry for no reason if you have joy.

I was talking to my friend the other day and I asked how she was. She said, "I'm okay...". My general response is "Just okay?!", but before I could say that she said, "but joyful through it all."

O_O. Read that again.

Holy cow, guys. How neat is that? I was seriously impressed that she would tell me that. I mean, really. How many of us actually ARE joyful through tough situations? On top of that...how many of us TELL other people that we're joyful? I thought that that was really cool. (She's awesome. <3)

So, in summary, it is not a sin to be angry if there is a valid reason. Our human nature is to hurt people when they make us angry, and THAT is when it becomes a sin. God wants to help with this kind of thing. Check this out: Beautiful Questions.