Fierce Anger

Usually getting very angry is not good. In fact, many times it is a sin. That anger can lead to other sins that are even worse. However, there is a good kind of anger. There are times when we should get very angry. That righteous kind of anger is when we get angry at sin, not at other people.

Jonathan had righteous anger when his father, Saul, wanted to kill David. (I Samuel 20:34) Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on the second day of the festival, because he was crushed by his father's shameful behavior toward David. See, Jonathan was angry with the shameful behavior of his father, not his father.

I know it is hard to draw this line, at times. How do we distinguish between getting angry at sin and getting angry with a person who sins? I believe if we have righteous anger, we want to do the right thing to correct the sin, but we do not want to hurt the person who sinned. Therefore, we do not say hurtful things or do the wrong things. Instead, we speak and act in the power of the Spirit to see God's will done.

I hope we will all understand this difference, because the "anger of man" doesn't bring about the righteousness of God. (James 1:20) We are told to put away "all anger" of the wrong kind. (Ephesians 4:31) However, if we do not get angry at sin, and do what God would do, we become complacent, and we are really condoning sin, which is very wrong, too.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read I Samuel 21-23.