Words by Morris Murray | Image by Al Blanton
Inside Out is a 2015 comedy-drama film in which five emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust – are creatively personified in the life of a young girl named Riley Anderson as she grows up and adapts to changes in her life. The thrust of the film is that mental states and human emotions are meaningfully affected by and manifested in relationships with others.
Anger is one of the common emotional responses to issues we face in life. What does the Bible say about anger? Words of wisdom relative to relational anger are well situated in Scripture:
Proverbs 14:29: “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”
15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger.”
15:18: “A hothead starts fights; a cool-tempered person tries to stop them.”
16:32: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty.”
27:4: “Anger is cruel and wrath is like a flood.”
29:11: “A fool gives vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back.”
Psalms 37:8: “Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it only leads to evildoing.”
Furthermore, Ecclesiastes 7:9 admonishes us, “Don’t be quick-tempered, for anger is the friend of fools.”
Colossians 3:8 states, “Now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.”
James 1:19-20 declares, “Dear friends, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.”
Therefore, in personal relationships, anger is an incorrect response and does not accomplish the will of God. WL
