Anger: God's Will vs. God's Expectations

Anger: God’s Will vs. God’s Expectations

Recall the last incident that made you angry: (Write it down)

 

Why do we get angry?

 

God’s Command:

James 1:19-20 (KJV) ¹⁹ Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: ²⁰ For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Ecclesiastes 7:9 (KJV) ⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Psalm 37:8-9 (KJV) ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Ephesians 4:31-32 (KJV) ³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: ³² And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Why People get Angry:

1.           Injustices in Life:

o   Anger over Sin.  God’s anger is over sin or injustice. 

o   More mention of God’s wrath in the Bible than man’s anger.

2.           Do Not Get Your Way:

1 Kings 21:1-4 (KJV) ¹ And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. ² And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. ³ And Naboth said to Ahab, The LORD forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. ⁴ And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

3.           Jealousy:

·        Saul became angry with David when Saul became jealous of David.

·        Jealousy is the intense interest for another’s honor or prosperity.

·        Jealousy is the apprehension of superiority.

1 Samuel 18:7-9 (KJV) ⁷ And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands. ⁸ And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom? ⁹ And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

4.           Things Seem Out of Your Control / Need to Control

·        Your Children

·        Your Reputation

·        Your Security

 

Need to Control…we use anger to control others!

6.           Response to Hurt or Mistreatment:

·        Vengeance anger grows little by little over the years of mistreatment.

·        The slightest mistreatment or hurt can unleash anger reactions.

Ill:           David and Nabal I Sam 25

Nabal was a wealthy land owner.  His flocks and lands were protected by David and his mighty men. He sought food for his men and Nabel said no.  David in anger wanted to take his men, and slay Nabal.

7.           Wounded Pride:

·        Spiritual progress can lead to pride.

·        Pride, wounded, can lead to anger.

Ill:           King Asa

Incident 1:  Faced Ethiopians that outnumbered him two to one.  Asa humbly sought the Lord and the Lord gave Asa victory and brought a great revival to Israel. 

2 Chronicles 15:9 (KJV) ⁹ And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

Incident 2:  Baasha came against Asa.  Asa this time paid the Syrian King Ben-hadad to make a new union with Asa. It worked, but the prophet of God Hanani rebuked Asa for not relying on the Lord.  Asa’s response: 

2 Chronicles 16:10 (KJV) ¹⁰ Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

Asa’s pride led to anger.

8.           Spill Over from Unresolved Guilt:

·        A person with guilt often wields a critical tongue.

·        A person with a sin problem is often harsh at home with spouse and children.

Ill:  David and His Guilt

What was David’s response when Nathan told him the story of the man who took advantage of the poor man?

9.           Physical Conditions (Acute, Chronic Pain, Weariness, Sickness)

10.         To Set Things Right

·        This can be a righteous anger.  When things are wrong, anger can be a motivation to correct things. 

·        Think of Jesus at the Temple with the moneychangers.

Notice all 10 reasons are related to other people or circumstances.

Rectifying God’s Will vs. Godly Expectations

1.           God’s Will:

·        God’s will is basically anything that reflects God’s purpose for our lives, independent upon people or circumstances beyond our ability to control.

·        God’s will for our lives is for us to become more and more like Jesus Christ. This is called sanctification. 

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (KJV) ³ For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

·        We are the only ones who can keep us from doing God’s will in our lives.

·        God’s will does not depend on other people or favorable circumstances.

2.           Godly Expectations:

·        A Godly expectation does depend on favorable circumstances or the cooperation of other people.

·        The problems come when we equate a Godly expectation with God’s will for our lives.

Ill:           Dinner @ 6 with Wife.

Stop for gas, backed up…old man taking his sweet time putting gas in the car, checking the oil, windshield.  He is ruining your Godly expectation of dinner @ 6 with wife!

The old man does not determine who you are, your response to him does.  It reveals the will of God…sanctification…Christlikeness.

Ill:           Godly Expectation of a Loving, Happy, Godly Home!

Who can mess with that Godly expectation?  Everyone in your home!  You cannot control what your spouse will do or what your children will do, but you can control you.  You can control how you act.

What to Do?

1.           Focus on Doing God’s Will!

·        The person or circumstance that tempts you to be angry is an opportunity to do the will of God. 

·        Remember the will of God is to respond like Jesus.  It is to respond in the Spirit of God, the fruit of the Spirit.

2.           You can do the will of God.

·        God’s will is doable.

·        Christ enables us to do God’s will.

Matthew 19:26 (KJV) ²⁶ But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
Philippians 4:13 (KJV) ¹³ I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

3.           You can’t control People or Circumstances

·        Trust God!

·        Have faith in God!

4.           Manage your Godly Expectations

·        God is not going to make every circumstance and person to your liking.

·        Don’t measure your life by your circumstances, but by your Christlikeness.

·        God’s greatest ministry is in your heart.

5.           Trials are Opportunities to do God’s Will.

Romans 5:3-5 (KJV) ³ And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; ⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope: ⁵ And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

·        Each trial is an opportunity to experience the love of God.