The price of Anger

Wow, this fellow looks angry doesn't he? I wonder what ticked off this individual to the point where he would make such a face? Certainly this individual is unhinged, or maybe he's reached the point of no return in controlling his anger.

Whatever the case may be, anger is a serious emotion. It is one of the few emotions, that if people dwell in it long enough, they will be overcome by it and the consequences can be disastrous.

But before we go any further, let's define anger. According to the American Psychological Association, anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong.

The APA goes into further detail about the emotion and says that it could be a good thing and give

you a way to express negative feelings, for example, or motivate you to find solutions to problems.

But the agency said that excessive anger can cause problems.

Last week, I saw two major examples of this.

The first was when I was on my way to work and a car pulled out on a pedestrian trying to cross the street. The two got into a heated verbal altercation, with the driver threatening the pedestrian to come back so they could finish this. The driver was dwelling in his anger.

The second example is a bit more personal. As I was leaving the mall with my daughter Grace, I stepped out in front of a young man walking and talking on his cellphone.

I  apologized to him, but he didn't understand what I said and thought I was saying something cross to him. He turned around looking for a confrontation - instead I repeated my apology and went on about my business. Thank God I didn't dwell in my anger - doesn't mean that I haven't before - this time I didn't.

Anger is a tricky emotion for us to deal with. Because the emotion can be of some use. I think the question now becomes, what does God have to say about the matter, specifically anger.

An excerpt from GotQuestions.org answers this best for us:

"Anger turns to sin when it is selfishly motivated (James 1:20), when God’s goal is distorted (1 Corinthians 10:31), or when anger is allowed to linger (Ephesians 4:26-27). Instead of using the energy generated by anger to attack the problem at hand, it is the person who is attacked."

Again the problem with Anger lingering comes up. But why does it linger. Let me offer my opinion. I think anger provides fuel and excitement at times. It becomes a natural boost for people in times of great stress. 

Think about how you feel when you're angry. You feel motivated, your adrenaline levels are pretty high. At times you think you can conquer the world. You get so fired up that you feel as if anyone who gets in your way is going to be demolished.But the consequences can be dire.

American author Greg Pak dealt with the price of rage and lingering in anger during his stent as writer on Marvel Comic's The Incredible Hulk.

In a storyline called World War Hulk (the cover of the first issue is pictured above), Pak demonstrated that how continued rage has a terrible price. Yes you can get angry, yes you can go into rage - but it's going to cost you something.

What's the take home message from all of this? How does this hit home? I think it has to do with our relationships, whether they're with family members, co-workers or even strangers.

Marriage is a place where anger that hasn't been dealt with properly, can change or metamorphose into something terrible. Have you ever seen a couple arguing over how a towel is hung up in the home? Have you ever been the couple that has these arguments?

Years ago, I saw a family indulge in his wholesale anger and savagely beat a woman with a 2X4.  He was angry over something she had done to him and his only mode or recourse was to beat her. Fortunately, a police officer was driving by when this happened and the family member was thrown in jail.  He let his anger get the best of him, he gave into his rage and the price was his freedom.

Dwelling in anger costs us. What's the price that some of you are willing to pay for your continued anger? Is it your job? Is it your family? Is it your freedom? Maybe it's your life.