How Often Are You Angry?

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Anger has serious health implications. It produces direct physiological effects on the heart and arteries. Stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, speed up the heart rate and breathing and cause a burst of energy.

Blood pressure also rises as the blood vessels contract. While this stress response mobilises one for emergencies, it might cause harm if activated repeatedly. High cortisol and adrenaline levels have a cardiotoxic effect and cause wear and tear on the heart and cardiovascular system.

Frequent anger may speed up the process of arteriosclerosis. The heart pumps harder, blood vessels constrict, and blood pressure surges. These can cause damage to artery walls. Anger is often triggered by a discrepancy between what we expect and what we get. Learning to adjust those expectations can help us cope with difficult situations or people, or even cope with ourselves. Anger control emphasises the importance of understanding how stress underlines anger and how to reduce stress before it turns to anger.

Ephesians 4:26 says, “Be ye angry, and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” Anger is a natural emotion, and as humans, we are expected to be angry at one time or the other, for one reason or the other. On many occasions, the Bible reports God as being angry with His people in the Old Testament. Bible readers who want to justify their anger often make a reference to Matthew 21:19.

Here, Jesus was hungry and then happy when he sighted a fig tree which should be bearing fruits at that season. On coming close, He discovered that it had no fruits but only leaves. Jesus was disappointed and cursed that fig tree to remain barren. The poor fig tree withered soon after. If you have occasion to be angry, see that the anger does not cause you to sin. Beware of excesses in your anger.

It is important to handle your anger properly. If anger is managed thoughtlessly, relationships can be destroyed, bad decisions may be taken, and hurts can be inflicted on people. Let your anger subside before you take decisions and actions. Dr. Lawrence Peter said, “Speak when you are angry,

and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” Just try and remember the moments you were angry and what you said. Unfortunately, you cannot recall what you have voiced out.

Apostle James offers some very useful advice in chapter 1 verses 19 and 20. He says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters, you must all be quick to listen, and slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. We should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel neglected. This is selfish anger which is not good for anybody.

This type of anger arises when you feel your opinion is not heard or respected or your ego is deflected. Of course, do not hesitate to be angry when injustice is done or sin is committed. God is also angry on such occasions. “Every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson.

You cannot be angry and happy at the same time. This is why Apostle Paul says, “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burnt.

When we bottle up anger, it causes us to become bitter and destroy ourselves from inside. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, “Do not be hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” This implies that we should not allow anger to settle down in your mind. Do not allow it to reside in your bosom.

It is only fools who harbour anger and provide a resting place for it. Surely, no person would want to be classified as a fool. Everyone tries to justify his anger. But Benjamin Franklin says, “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.” It is only when the anger is over that you can come to your senses and reason well. Then you will realise what you said or the action you took.

Confucius warns, “When anger arises, think of the consequences.” Avoid envy, it makes one angry. Saint John Chrysostom reflected, “As a moth mows a garment, so doth envy consume a man.” Envy drains the joy, satisfaction, and purpose out of living. If allowed to grow, it breeds hate, anger, and revenge. If you compare what you want with what others have, you will be unhappy.