Managing the Emotion We Call Anger

Managing the Emotion We ANGER C ALL

o begin this topic, I want to begin with a question: Who is the angriest person in the Bible? If you answered “GOD,” you would be 7 absolutely correct. If the same question were asked again and this time you answered “SATAN,” you would be correct, again. How so, would God and Satan be the angriest persons in the Bible? Please allow me to explain.

First, a few thoughts about anger that I’m sure we all can relate to. Anger is one of three basic human emotions, as elemental as happiness, sadness, anxiety, and disgust. These emotions are tied to our basic survival and were honed over the long course of human history. Anger can be understood or defined as an emotional state that may range in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage. Anger may be accompanied by such physiological effects as raising the heart rate, blood pressure and the levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and cortisol in the body.

Research tells us that what makes anger so insidiously powerful is that it creates overwhelming physiological responses in the person experiencing the emotion— physiological responses such as clenched teeth and ŝƐŚŽƉZ͘͘,ĂŝƌƐƚŽŶ͕WƐLJ

fists, pursed lips, increased heart rate, rapid breathing and perspiration are all outward signs that anger is present. In this context, Anger is related to the “fight, flight, or freeze” response of the sympathetic nervous system. It prepares humans to fight. Further, anger usually has underlying emotions that accompany it such as fear, low self-esteem, rejection, abandonment, family of origin issues, jealousy, depression, hurt, and anxiety. Yet, anger is something we all experience, often on a regular basis. If we were to pause and peel back the layers of our anger, we would find the underlying emotion from which the anger stems. Often times that emotion looks nothing like the anger that we express. In fact, we are triggered in the moment, but the underlying root cause is truly what our anger is about.

That said, allow me to further explain how God and Satan are the angriest persons in the Bible. When we look at Scripture and see that God is angry, it tells us something very important, and that is anger can be utterly right, good, appropriate, beautiful, even the only fair response to something evil, and

Bishop R.E. Hairston, PsyD, at gatchurch2@hotmail.com PAW Committee on Health Education & Wellness Agenda, Director

the only loving response on behalf of

evil’s victims. Herein, we see the greatest example of both the anger of God toward sin, and His great love on behalf of everyone victimized by sin, on Calvary. In love, the anger our sin deserves fell on Jesus. In love, God’s anger works to disarm the power of sin. In love, God’s anger will deliver us from the pain of others sins against us. Therefore, we see the same word, “anger” speaks of both the finest and foulest feelings and acts of God. In reality, God expresses his love for His people in each of the three aforementioned ways He expresses His anger at wrong.

Thus, we can conclude that righteous anger is an excellent and constructive expression, whereas sinful anger is destructive and chaotic, which is to be avoided at all costs. Righteous anger is completely different from “destructive or chaotic” anger, or the anger that we are so accustomed to seeing and experiencing on a regular basis. It is this destructive or chaotic expression that we saw and experienced growing up in our families of origin, communities and world. For some, who grew up in an alcoholic family, they learned to protect themselves by hiding their anger only to see it manifest later in life as insecure attachment or a plethora of relationship issues. For others who grew up in abuse, sexual and verbal, they learned to disguise their anger only to see it manifest later in life as depression, borderline personality or rebellion. The truth is, we live in an angry world and in an angry time. Like it or not, we are angry about school shootings; we are angry about government; we are angry about mistreatment at all levels; we are angry about undeserved privilege; and we are angry about injustice, inequality, and rampant discrimination. The rage over injustice, inequality, marginalization and disenfranchisement is real even for the Christian today. A recent Esquire/NBC survey entitled “American Rage” found, the overall presence of rage is clear. The November survey of more than 3,000 American adults found that about half are angrier today than they were a year ago with no sign of abating.

Simply put, we do anger with all that we are. In a fallen world, human anger is destructive and dysfunctional. James makes a sweeping indictment: “Be slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God (James 1:20).” Our capacity for sinful anger shows up early, even from birth. Thus, we may draw the conclusion that anger is a learned behavior that is taught, modeled, and practiced, and can become second nature, a habitual manner of life. I believe that God teaches and trains us as spiritual beings to discern our anger and to change its purpose and expression to a righteous act of love. In this context, I propose the following questions by which we can discern our anger to understand whether it is driven by a sense of righteousness or a sense of sinfulness (chaos): · Do you get angry about the right things? · Do you express anger in the right way? · God and the devil are both angry all the time; on whose side is your anger? · How long does your anger last? · How controlled is your anger? · What motivates your anger? · Is your anger “PRIMED AND READY” to respond to another person’s habitual sins?

Are you ready to humble yourself in your broken state and surrender your sinful anger to God? Know that He will give you grace in your time of need (Isaiah 66:2b; 2 Chronicles 16:9; James 4:6). So, if you are ready, repent, ask God and those you have offended to forgive you, and walk in victory over the sinful anger that’s held you captive for so long. May the good grace of God strengthen you in your ability to manage and gain greater victory over sinful, chaotic anger.

As you read this piece and are inspired to support the Presider’s Mental Health Agenda, you can do the following:

· If you are a mental health professional, we want to know who and where you are. Please send an email to

Bishop R.E. Hairston, PsyD, at gatchurch2@hotmail.com, PAW Committee on Health Education & Wellness

Agenda, Director, and share your name, location, and the work you’re doing in mental health.

· If you are a Bishop, Suffragan Bishop, District Elder, or

Pastor we want you to be informed of the existence of the PAW Committee on Health Education & Wellness, and to assess your needs for mental health support in your church, community or Diocese, whether it’s about mental health issues in your area or for individualized help and support. Please use the email address above to reach Bishop R. E. Hairston, PsyD. He can also be reached via cell: 425-442-3109.

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