Psalm 37:8 says, "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil." As this Bible passage tells us, we are to refrain from anger and turn away from wrath because it leads to evil.
This is directly told to us, and God is warning us through this passage that anger and wrath will only lead us to evil. Evil ultimately goes hand in hand with sin; therefore, it is impossible to obey God and follow Him if we are allowing anger and wrath to fill our hearts.
If we allow anger and wrath to fill our hearts, we will be consumed with evil.
Turning Away from Anger and Wrath
I was born into a family in which the main emotion that was shown was anger. Instead of talking things out or expressing other emotions, anger was normally the only emotion on display.
While there is a time and a place for godly anger, there is never a time and a place for anger that comes from sin. In many households across the world, they experience the same thing.
Anger, fights, and yelling are all that is expressed when it comes to emotions. The Bible, and especially Psalm 37:8, warns us against turning to anger and wrath, even if it is what we are accustomed to.
Rather than turning to anger and wrath, we need to choose to love others, forgive freely, and strive toward peace. Anger can be a hard emotion to deal with, yet much of our anger can be misplaced depression or frustration.
Since anger is a more socially accepted emotion, especially for men, it can be hard to turn away from anger and be willing to be vulnerable with other emotions, which are the emotions they are actually experiencing.
Frustration, sadness, and despair can manifest in hate, anger, and depression. It is our responsibility as Christians to recognize our true emotions and bring them before God. While emotions are not sinful in and of themselves, they can cause us to commit sins.
We need to be careful with our emotions and express them correctly. If we feel anger and wrath rising in our hearts, we need to turn to God in prayer. We need to tell Him about our anger, why we are angry, and why we are feeling wrathful.
God listens to all of our prayers, and He cares about all of our emotions, even the emotions that are uncomfortable, such as anger. God knows we are humans, and He knows we will become angry at times, yet it is what we do with this anger that matters.
We can feed into the anger and wrath, or we can take the higher road and choose to obey God rather than our sinful flesh.
Take the example of Cain and Abel. Cain became angry, wrathful, and hateful toward his brother because God liked Abel's offering better than his own. Out of his anger, wrath, and hate, he murdered his brother.
This is exactly in line with what Psalm 37:8 tells us — anger and wrath will only result in evil. Cain committed evil when he allowed these feelings to drown his heart and chose to kill his own brother. As we can see, nothing good comes from anger and wrath.
Think about the last time you were angry and wrathful. Most likely, you were filled with inexpressible pain and frustration. It could have been a mistake you made, or it could be something someone did to you that made you angry.
How to Refrain from Anger
No matter the reason you are feeling anger or wrathful, give it over to God. This can sound cliche or even unhelpful, yet giving your emotions over to God is what ultimately will help you.
From my own personal experience, you cannot eradicate anger and wrath on your own — you need God's help.
I have had many times where I felt extremely angry and wrathful. I have admittedly made many mistakes and hurt others in the process. An unkind word, words you'll regret, or breaking a heart can all be the results of anger and wrath.
While one might say this isn't "as bad" as murdering someone, it can really hurt someone, and once the hurt has been inflicted, it can be impossible to heal.
I have learned the hard way why it is important to refrain from anger and turn away from wrath because, as the psalmist says, it only leads to evil.
The psalmist continues in his psalm by writing, "For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land" (Psalm 37:9). This is the exact verse following Psalm 37:8.
He first tells us that the result of anger and wrath will be evil, yet he adds that the evil will be destroyed while those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.
It is true that the evil will be destroyed if they don't place faith in Christ; however, as believers, we can still be destroyed in our everyday lives if we allow anger and wrath to fill our hearts.
It can damage our relationships, our friendships, and our families. Evil causes exactly what we think it would cause — despair, problems, and pain. All of these things go against what God wants for your life.
Jesus didn't die on the cross for you to continue in a life of sin. Rather, He died in order for you to have abundant life, and that abundant life begins now (John 10:10). Anger and wrath only lead to evil, which will only lead to destruction, pain, and misery.
This is not the life God wants for you. Satan will do his best to try to provoke you to anger and wrath, and your sinful nature will do the same.
This can sound intimidating, yet you are not only in your struggle. God is with you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to help you in these difficulties.
The Holy Spirit will convict, guide, and help us. Through His help, He can help us overcome sinful behaviors and turn to God instead of turning to wrath. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your actions and specifically ask Him to help you avoid anger and wrath.
He will help you in this struggle, and He will never abandon you to fight these things on your own. By turning to the Bible, you can also fight against the flesh and the devil. The Bible contains everything you need to live a godly life.
Within the pages of the Bible, much is spoken about turning away from evil, anger, and wrath. A godly life doesn't consist of these things. Rather, a godly life consists of the fruits of the Spirit.
What Does This Mean?
Thus, we need to refrain from anger and turn from wrath because, as Psalm 37:8 says, it will only lead to evil. As Christians, we need to do our best to stay away from sin and make the choice each day to obey God.
The temptation to be angry, wrathful, and do evil can be overwhelming at times and in certain circumstances, but it is never right. Part of following God means doing the hard thing and turning the other cheek.
God can help you on this journey and lead you to a place where you can replace anger, wrath, and evil with kindness, forgiveness, and love.
For further reading:
What Does the Bible Say about Controlling Your Anger?
Why Are We Told to Be ‘Slow to Become Angry’?
Why Are We Told Not to Let the Sun Go Down on Our Anger?
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