Lesson for May 31, 2023
Principles for Christian Living
Lesson 4
Anger vs. Happiness
Proverbs 16:32, “He who is slow to anger is better and more honorable than the mighty [soldier], and he who rules and controls his own spirit, than he who captures a city.”
Colossians 3:8, “But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth.” Like all sin, anger produces its own misery. Anger is a destroyer of marriages, families, children, and friends, not to mention self. This is why the Word of God commands us to put away anger and not allow it to produce other sins in our life. The Bible says that anger can be controlled, and to do so is admirable. Proverbs 19:11, “Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, and it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].”
There is a type of anger that is not a sin, called “righteous indignation,” according to Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be angry [at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior], yet do not sin; do not let your anger [cause you shame, nor allow it to] last until the sun goes down. And do not give the devil an opportunity [to lead you into sin by holding a grudge, or nurturing anger, or harboring resentment, or cultivating bitterness].”
When we see an injustice being done, it often makes us angry. This type of anger is justified if it does not progress into rage. The Greek word for anger is “orge,” which can mean indignation as in Mark 3:4-5, “He (Jesus) asked them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness and
arrogance of their hearts, He told the man, ‘Hold out your hand.’ And he held it out, and his hand was [completely] restored.”
The Greek word for wrath is “thumos,” which means an outburst of anger or rage as in Luke 4:28-29, “As they heard these things [about God’s grace to these two Gentiles], the people in the synagogue were filled with a great rage; and they got up and drove Him (Jesus) out of the city, and led Him to the crest of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to hurl Him down the cliff.”
There are those within the body of Christ who have made emotion their god. These people are destroying their lives and have become the enemies of the Cross of Christ. Why? Because as believers in Jesus Christ, our citizenship is in Heaven, not in this world. Therefore, we are to operate our Christian lives on the basis of being Royal Family of God. The alternative is operating on the basis of Satan’s world system, i.e. human viewpoint and/or our emotions. Philippians 3:18-19, “For there are many, of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, who live as enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose fate is destruction, whose god is their emotions, and whose glory is in their shame, who focus their minds on earthly and temporal things.”
Emotion is a wonderful thing, given to us by God. However, emotion without the proper devotion (following God’s instructions) can be destructive. Emotion is how we are able to appreciate all the things that we have received from God. However, God does not want us to live our lives based on how we feel emotionally at any given moment. He wants us to live our lives based on how He feels about everything that we think or do.
So how are we going to be able to control anger in our lives? The answer is in learning to share the happiness of God. Happy people rarely allow themselves to get angry. When they do, they recognize it as a mental attitude sin, confess it, and move on. John 15:11, “If you keep My commandments (not getting angry), you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy (happiness) may be made full.”
Sharing God’s happiness comes as a result of obeying God’s Word according to John 13:17. Happiness comes when believers develop virtue and integrity in their souls, which translates into good decision making (wisdom). (Proverbs 3:13,18) Consistently making good decisions creates an environment for happiness.
Believers with virtue in their souls realize that neither circumstances, material wealth, nor other people can make them happy. (John 15:11; I John 1:4) This means that we must think our way to happiness, it doesn’t just happen.
Happiness is produced in the life of believers under the filling of the Holy Spirit according to Galatians 5:22-23. We are literally commanded to “rejoice always” in Philippians 4:4. It is therefore God’s desire for all of us to be full of His happiness, according to John 17:13. This inner happiness is a part of the character of Jesus Christ being formed in us. This happiness is to be exhibited by us toward circumstances and toward others, according to Jesus, in John 15:10-12.
Being happy as a Christian is learning to accept what life brings our way as part of a growth process. A part of this is learning to be grateful regardless of our circumstances. Gratitude can go a long way toward producing happiness because it takes away those negative thoughts of complaining and grumbling.
Philippians 4:11-13, “Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]”
Paul had learned to be happy in the midst of any circumstance. This means that happiness did not come naturally to Paul, it had to be learned. Paul spent a lot of time in prison, being persecuted, which would make it very difficult for most people to be happy. Sometimes during Paul’s walk with the Lord, he suffered adversity and sometimes he experienced prosperity. But in both circumstances, Paul learned that he could do all things through Christ Who was strengthening him. So, Paul had to learn how to deal with adversity and with prosperity. Often adversity is not the greatest test for a believer.
During adversity most of us, believers and unbelievers, turn to God for help. However, during times of prosperity it is very easy to forget the source of that prosperity. This, of course, eventually brings misery.
Paul prayed for believers in Colossae that they would learn to be happy in Colossians 1:9-11, “For this reason, since the day we heard about it, we have not stopped praying for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom, and in understanding,so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing in the knowledge of God;strengthened and invigorated with all power, according to His glorious might, to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy (happiness).” Paul prayed that they would be filled with Bible doctrine and that it would cause them to please the Lord by being fruitful (divine production). He prayed they would be consistent in learning doctrine which would strengthen and invigorate them by giving them endurance and persistence in living the Christian Way of Life with happiness.
The more time we spend in the study and application of God’s Word, the more time we will spend being happy. In order to share the happiness of God, believers must possess the peace of God. The peace of God is available only to those who already have peace with God through faith in Jesus Christ.