Anger with a Cause

Anger has often received a bad name in my life, but I have come to understand that anger is not always the enemy. Sometimes anger is the part of us that recognizes something is wrong. I have been angry when I suffered injustice, and I have been angry when I saw others suffer injustice.

The problem was not always the presence of anger. The problem was that I rarely used it wisely, especially in my youth and young adulthood. My anger may have been attached to something real, but the way I expressed it was often unproductive. It did not advance me. It did not clarify me. It did not always honor God.

Over time, I have learned that anger governed by patience can become useful. Anger without patience usually becomes destructive. Scripture does not command us to pretend anger does not exist. It tells us, “Be angry, and sin not.”