Quick to Anger

Between June 2020, and May 2021, the number of road-rage incidents that lead to death or injury almost doubled, according to one analysis.

We are so quick to anger. Yet the Bible tells us, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” (James 1:19–20 NLT).

Some people will explode and be angry, and then they’re over it. But then there are others who won’t have an outburst but instead will just seethe on the inside. It reminds me of this statement from Oswald Chambers: “The man who loses his temper quickest is the one who finds it quickest. The man you need to beware of is not the man who flares up, but the man who smoulders, who is vindictive and harbors vengeance.”

The problem with a bitter and angry person is they’re never content to keep it to themselves. They want to spread it around. Instead of dealing with it, instead of going to the person they’re angry with or have a conflict with and seeking to resolve the problem, they hold it on the inside. They allow their anger to dig in deeper, and that becomes a root of bitterness.

But I’ve also come to realize there are some people who just love confrontations. And sadly, there are a lot of people like that in the church today. They’re always nitpicking, complaining, and arguing.

On the other hand, those who are truly spiritual are not hypercritical. They’re gracious, compassionate, and loving people.

So when someone seems to enjoy constantly running others down, it’s because something is wrong in their spiritual life. And don’t be surprised to find that the person who whines the most and is critical of the smallest things in the lives of others is guilty of something far worse.