Living Without Anger: The Path to Being Unoffendable
Is it possible to live without anger? In a world where offense seems to be the norm, this question becomes increasingly relevant with the growing prevalence of outrage in our culture. It's time to explore what has fueled this phenomenon over the past decade. Let’s examine four key factors:
1. Social Media: The rise of social media has given us a platform to express our opinions without face-to-face interactions. Unfortunately, it has also encouraged us to say things online that we would never say to someone in person.
2. 24-Hour News: The media landscape has become increasingly polarized, dividing us along political lines and convincing us that those who disagree with us are foolish.
3. Divided Politics: The political climate has become a battleground, where parties vie for power and view any gain by the opposition as a threat.
4. Academic Culture: The educational system now teaches students to be easily offended, introducing concepts like “microaggressions” and “safe zones,” which hypersensitize an entire generation.
These factors affect people from all walks of life, irrespective of their wealth, race, or political leanings.
The Role of Anger
A significant aspect of becoming unoffendable is dealing with anger. If you find yourself frequently angry or harboring anger beneath the surface, it's likely that you're easily offended. Proverbs warns us about the dangers of anger:
“A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless. A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.” —Proverbs 14:16–17
At first, you might think, “I'm not an angry person,” but upon closer examination, you may discover moments of anger that surprise you. In the Bible, anger is often associated with words like “burn,” “fierce,” “hostility,” and “wrath,” which paints a grim picture.
“In your anger, do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” —Ephesians 4:26, 31
Paul, the author of Ephesians, doesn’t portray anger as a sin itself but emphasizes the close relationship between anger and sin. Anger rarely leads to kind words, self-control, or righteousness.
“For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.” —Proverbs 30:33
This vivid imagery highlights the direct connection between anger and strife. Consequently, Paul advises us to rid ourselves of bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice.
The Destructive Power of Anger
Anger is more than just an emotion; it has profound physiological effects. When you get angry, your body undergoes an "amygdala hijack," an emotional response that prioritizes quick reactions over rational thinking. Your pupils dilate, your heart races, and hormones like cortisol and adrenaline surge, preparing you for a fight or flight response.
Unfortunately, repeated anger can have severe consequences, including anxiety, headaches, heart disease, chronic pain, digestive issues, and even skin problems. Angry individuals also tend to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, emotional eating, and excessive drinking, putting them at risk for accidents and injuries.
Managing Anger
To prevent an amygdala hijack, you can employ several strategies:
Use logic to assess whether the situation warrants anger.
Practice deep breathing to calm your emotions.
Take a break to allow your body to recover from the physiological effects of anger.
Pray for wisdom, peace, and kindness during moments of anger.
Identify triggers and work on addressing the underlying issues.
Do I Have an Anger Problem?
If you answered yes to two or more of the above questions, you may struggle with explosive anger. If this resonates with you, consider seeking help through counseling or other resources to address your anger problem.
Choosing Righteousness Over Anger
Ultimately, we must understand that our anger is not on par with God’s righteousness. We often justify our anger, believing it to be righteous, but God’s anger is always perfectly just. He desires for us to live a life marked by gratitude and self-control rather than anger.
The path to becoming unoffendable is not easy, but it is possible with God’s help. He loves you, forgives your sins, and equips you with the Holy Spirit to live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. As you embark on this journey, remember that God’s dream for you is to be transformed into his image, free from the chains of self-justifying anger. Let us pray together, asking God to help us become a people who are unoffendable and stand out in a culture that thrives on offense.
Blog adapted from October 1, 2023 message by Minister Mark Ashton
