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Wives, moms, drivers, do you have an anger problem?  Are you easily provoked?  Do you feel your blood pressure rise on a regular basis?  How quickly reacting in anger can become a bad habit!  The saying is true, “Anger is one letter short of danger.”  We live in an angry world.  Look no farther than the highways, checkout lanes, and ball fields.  But we’re supposed to stand out from the world.  We’re to subdue anger and instead display patience and gentleness at all times to all people.  The Bible has much to say about the danger of anger.  When we find ourselves responding harshly, we can allow these Scriptures to convict and soften our ways.

In the front of your Bible, write: Anger- Psa. 37:8

Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

Circle “anger” and “wrath.”  Underline “cease” and “forsake.”  Sometimes we justify our anger based on the actions of others.  This psalm is about the evildoers in the land.  Instead of getting angry or fretting, notice what David suggests (you might squiggly underline them):

•             Trust in the Lord and do good- v. 3
•             Delight yourself in the Lord- v. 4
•             Commit your way to the Lord- v. 5
•             Trust in Him- v. 5
•             Rest in the Lord- v. 7
•             Wait patiently for Him- v. 7
•             Wait for the Lord- v. 34
•             Keep His way- v. 34

At the end of verse eight, write Prov. 14:17.

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.

Circle “quick-tempered man” and underline “acts foolishly.”  Anger is such a powerful emotion that it keeps us from thinking clearly.  At the end of the verse, write v. 29.

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.

Circle “slow to anger” and “quick-tempered.”  Underline “has great understanding” and “exalts folly.”  Again, notice how anger affects even our reasoning.  At the end of the verse, write 15:1.

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Circle “wrath” and “anger.”  Underline “gentle answer turns away” and “harsh word stirs up.”  How powerful is a gentle answer?  It can turn away wrath.  In the margin next to it, write the meaning of this strong word:  “heat; poison; venom; rage.”  At the end of the verse, write v. 18.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute.

Circle “hot-tempered man” and “slow to anger.”  Underline “stirs up strife” and “calms a dispute.”  When we think about various situations in which we find ourselves (family, church, work), we must ask, “Do I help provide the calm or do I provoke the strife?”  At the end of the verse, write 22:24-25.

Do not associate with a man given to anger; or go with a hot-tempered man, or you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself.

Circle “given to anger” and “hot-tempered man.”  Underline “Do not associate with” and “you will learn his ways and find a snare for yourself.”  In the margin next to this verse, write in parenthesis, “See also 1 Cor. 15:33.”  At the end of the verse, write 29:22.

An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

Circle “angry man” and “hot-tempered man.”  Underline “stirs up strife” and “abounds in transgression.”  When we allow anger to rule our spirit, we abound in sin!  At the end of the verse, write Ecc. 7:9.

Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger resides in the bosom of fools.

Circle both occurrences of the word “anger.”  Underline “do not be eager in your heart” and “resides in the bosom of fools.”  At the end of the verse, write Gal. 5:19-21.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident…

Underline “deeds of the flesh” in verse 19.  Circle “anger” in verse 20.  And underline “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” in verse 21.  At the end of the verse, write Eph. 4:26-32.

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger…

Paul is quoting Psalm 4:4 in verse 26.  In verse 26, circle “anger,” and in verse 31, circle “wrath” and “anger.”  In verse 26, underline “do not sin” and “do not let the sun go down on.”  In verse 31, underline “be put away from you.”  Anger is often tied to our speech.  Notice the type of speech we’re supposed to have (v. 29).  We have to put anger away so we can be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving each other (v. 32).  John Piper wrote (in the context of marriage), “Anger devours almost all other good emotions. It numbs the heart to joy and gratitude and hope and tenderness and compassion and kindness.”  At the end of verse 32, write Col. 3:8.

But now you also, put them all aside:  anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth.

Circle “anger” and “malice.”  Underline “put them all aside.”  In the beginning of the chapter we see that these are members of our earthly body that we are to be dead to because we’ve been risen with Christ.  At the end of the verse, write 1 Pet. 2:23.

And while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously.

I included this verse because Jesus is our ultimate example of how to respond when harshly or unfairly treated by others.  Instead of reacting angrily to those who were mistreating Him, He entrusted Himself to God. He put it all in God’s hands.  Underline the entire verse.

If you’d like to expand this study, there are many more verses about anger in the Bible (especially in the Proverbs).

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Kathy Pollard

Kathy is married to Neal, whom she met at Faulkner University. Neal preaches for the Bear Valley church of Christ in Denver, CO. They have three sons–Gary, Dale, and Carl. Kathy has enjoyed several short-term mission trips to Ukraine, Tanzania, and Cambodia. She’s an instructor in the Women’s Program at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, one of the directors of Higher Ground Encampment, a Bible camp for teen girls, and the author of Return to Me: What to do When Loved Ones Fall Away.

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