20 Sep Deadly Contagion

It turns out that you can learn a lot from a 30-year-old TV show about containing a deadly contagion. I recently watched an episode of “Touched by an Angel” where Monica was infected with this contagion. Being an angel, not human, it hit her especially hard. She then spread it to one person, and another, and another. What was this deadly infection? Anger.

We see how she spreads her anger and how it causes terrible damage in life after life. Because this is a TV show, it’s possible to show Monica all the damage she did. Then, she can go back and repair all the chaos she created. Yes, that works on TV. It doesn’t work very well in real life. That’s why it’s critical for Christ-followers to understand the destructive power of anger. First, we need to understand anger. There is righteous anger and unrighteous anger.

My definition of righteous anger is a godly response to that which offends God. Unrighteous anger is a sinful response to not getting our own way or something we want for our own selfish purposes. Eric Geiger came up with a matrix that I think explains this well:

What I would tweak is this: restoration isn’t just the goal of God’s righteous anger; it’s usually the result. The same is true of unrighteous anger and destruction.  Geiger is also correct that unrighteous anger consumes us. We are not in control of something we want to control: the driver going 5 mph under the speed limit, that person on social media who we think is an idiot, the employer that didn’t give us a job, and so on.  Take a look at these two verses:

A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. Proverbs 19:11 (NIV)

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 (NIV)

It’s important to point out that I consider these verses to be descriptive and not prescriptive. They are not a prescription for how we should live. They describe how we will be expected to act if we receive the Holy Spirit and submit to His guidance in our lives. The truth is that’s not always the case. Sometimes we rebuff the Spirit and indulge the impulsive, unrighteous anger of our fleshy selves.  Are you wrestling with unrighteous anger?

If so, take it to God. Have you surrendered to what angers Him and rejected what angers you? Does your anger serve God’s will or your own way? The enemy knows what an effective weapon anger is for us. He is constantly tempting us to indulge in sinful anger rather than righteous anger. Don’t take the bait!

When you feel yourself angering quickly, stop, take a breath, and surrender whatever it is that’s angering you to God. He knows we struggle with this and He’s ready to help us through it. Life isn’t a TV show. We cannot easily undo the damage our anger does. Don’t give in to your unrighteous anger. Don’t give it to others. Give it to God today!