Uprooting Anger: Biblical Help for a Common Problem

by Robert D. Jones

Simple: you must uproot your sinful anger, or its weeds will return. There will be no thorough and lasting godly change without root removal. Moralistic efforts to be patient with your coworkers won’t cut it. Regret-riddled resolutions to stop yelling at your kids won’t last. You must rip out those angry roots.

There will be no thorough and lasting godly change without root removal. Moralistic efforts to be patient with your coworkers won’t cut it. Regret-riddled resolutions to stop yelling at your kids won’t last. You must rip out those angry roots.

God’s Word gives us all that we need to handle this universal problem. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

members. First, we must develop a caring relationship and seek to understand both the person and his situation. Second, we must help him recognize and root out the cause of his sinful anger through changing his beliefs and motives. Third, we must help him control and correct his expression of sinful anger through changing his words and actions.

In my case, it is my lack of trusting God and His Justice. It is my idol that i think I can administer justice.

Do you see the dynamic? Can you relate to it? Jill reacts to Jack’s blowups by withdrawing; Jack reacts to her withdrawing by blowing up. They feed each other’s anger, and, to extend the metaphor, they willingly digest it and reply in kind. Both attack and defend. Both retreat and wallow. Both feel justified. Meanwhile, their relational gulf widens, their children inhale their secondhand smoke, and God is dishonored.

As I continue to learn and understand my idolatry of Justice (meaning how God isn't fast enough, I don't see how he forgave those whom he loves, therefore I don't accept forgiveness from Him), I need to be mindful of NOT feeding off of Stacie, (or whoever) and work towards Grace and Mercy, as God has shown me.

Our friend’s protestation, “Angry? No, I’m not angry,” rarely fools us, any more than our denials cover our angry expressions. You and I, and Jack and Jill, are more angry than we care to admit.

It arises from our judicial sense and functions under the larger dynamic of judgmentalism. In this sense, we may call anger a “moral emotion.”2 Anger protests, “What you did was wrong!” It pronounces, “That action is unjust!” It pleads, “This must stop!” Anger objects to wrongs committed.

Oh my God, this is me!