Upside Down Kingdom
Pt. 6 Dealing With Your Anger
Matthew 5:21-26

Anger is NATURAL
After telling his followers to be salt and light in the world and establishing his authority on the law, the first thing Jesus teaches on is anger. Anger is a common human feeling that can lead to life-altering choices, like murder. While the Law prohibits murder, Jesus expands on it to include the heart attitude, from where murder comes (Gen. 4:4-12; Ex. 20:13; 21:14; Lev. 19:17, 18; 1 John 3:11-15). Not all anger is sin, but anger often leads to it (Ps. 37:8; Prov. 14:29)!

Anger can be DESTRUCTIVE
Jesus tells his followers to be people of peace. So, when there’s an altercation, they may be able to find a resolution without going to court or jail. Peaceful people create peace; angry people create pain—for themselves and others (Matt. 5:9; Rom. 12:18). Following God won’t remove difficulty or reverse bad decisions. But it guarantees God is with you in difficulty and can redeem bad decisions by bringing good out of it. Uncontrolled rage lives in a selfish heart without God. This can be evidence of a sinful, depraved soul in danger of judgment and hell (Gr. gehenna, ‘Valley of Hinnom’; south of Jerusalem, a cursed valley previously used for child sacrifice; Jer. 31:34, 35; Matt. 25:41-46; Luke 12:4, 5). If you don’t control anger in your life, your anger will control your life!

Anger can be OVERCOME
Jesus expects Kingdom citizens to be proactive and not let anger destroy their lives and witness. You might not be able to control your feelings in the moment, but you can control your actions in the present. While angry feelings are common, sinful actions don’t have to be (Prov. 12:16; 15:1; 19:11; 29:11). Peace paves a way for blessing; anger runs your life off a cliff! 1. Wake up trusting in God and fill your mind with scripture and song. 2. Create a buffer in your heart to control your mouth and motions (James 1:19, 20). 3. Create healthy outlets for angry emotions—tell Jesus about it; get counsel from an uninvolved, godly person; go do something physically demanding (Ps. 4:4). 4. Keep short accounts with God and others (Eph. 4:26, 27). 5. Get new friends (Prov. 22:24, 25; 1 Cor. 15:33) 6. Forgive others and pray for them (Matt. 6:14, 15). Don’t let your emotions run your life, let God guide it!