Overcoming Anger, Part 2

Last week we started a new series on how to overcome anger. We left off discussing how that anger in and of itself is not sin. However, uncontrolled anger is and it can be followed by other sins as well. The first we discussed is the sin of retaliation. The second sin that can result is cursing. Cursing is the “expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc., befall a person or group.” That is certainly not very Christlike! The writer of Psalms 59:12 said, “On account of the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even be caught in their pride, And on account of curses and lies which they utter.”

The third sin that may result is slander. Slander is “oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation.” Anger can certainly lead to slander. Proverbs 10:18 says, “He who conceals hatred has lying lips, And he who spreads slander is a fool.” Other verses include Psalms 34:13 and 1 Peter 3:10.

The fourth sin that may result is gossip. Gossip is “idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others.” The first thing that we do when we are angry with someone is share it everyone else. That is a big no-no in the Bible. The Lord shared the method of dealing with others when we feel that we have been wronged in Matthew 18:15-17 when he said, “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church…”. That is the biblical way of handling someone who you are upset with…not by calling every person on your speed dial!

On another note, Paul warned us in 2 Timothy 2:14 that when we speak evil of someone to another person, we are actually “subverting” that person who we are speaking to. The word “subvert” means “to ruin”. We are ruining that person by making them also think evil of someone else, thus dragging them into our sin.