Patience – Overcoming Anger (Part 2)

1 John 3:11–20

When we talk about love, we’re talking about patience, kindness, and dealing with anger. Patience is a big part of being a Christian, it helps us control our anger and forgive others. This stops us from doing things we might regret later. The Bible, in the book of Ephesians, tells us to handle our anger in the right way, to not hold onto it, and to always be kind and forgiving, just like God forgives us.

1. Anger isn’t always a bad thing

Anger is a powerful emotion. It can be used for good or bad, and it’s not always wrong, because even God and Jesus get angry. Understanding why and what we’re angry about can help us control it. The Bible talks about two types of anger: “thumos,” which is a quick, emotional reaction, and “orge,” which is a long-lasting grudge that wants to see someone fail. God’s anger is always about defending what’s right and getting rid of what’s wrong. We see this in Jesus, who got angry when people misused God’s laws, but used his anger to heal. God’s anger against sin led to the creation of the cross, showing that his love and anger can work together to save us without hurting us. So, anger isn’t the opposite of love, it can be a part of love when it’s about stopping harm to others.

2. Anger can often be wrong

Anger can turn sinful when we use it to protect the wrong things and hurt those who threaten them. This harmful emotion often comes from defending our pride or valuing things more than God, like when a mother gets angry at her husband because she cares more about their child’s well-being than what God wants. To control our anger, we need to humble ourselves and care about what God wants most.

3. We need to understand that our motives aren’t always pure

Holding onto anger gives power to the person who caused it, hurting ourselves and trapping us in bitterness. Finding out why we’re really angry and using that anger to solve problems, instead of attacking people, can help us take control and avoid doing harm. Jesus’ cross gives us a new way to handle anger, offering grace, forgiveness, and the power to get rid of hard feelings and resentment. This leads to personal freedom and helps us positively affect others.