Chapter 6 Mad Man

Is your father, stepfather, or grandfather known for being angry? If so, then chances are—you will be known as an angry man, too. Being around an angry man is maddening for everyone, as you may already know, so if you're used to getting your own way and have been indulged by your mother or sisters or girlfriends, chances are, you are already well on your way to being an angry mad man. 

Why does it matter?

Well, it matters to your family and future, but why it matters most is because— it matters a lot to God— so it should matter to us.

How do we know it matters to God?

Simple, because anger is mentioned 266 times in the Bible, with the majority of these being written concerning God’s anger toward people who sinned repeatedly without repenting. The word angry is mentioned 87 times, and that's what we'll primarily discuss, the lies associated with being angry.

Some ridiculous preachers tell their congregation that we are commanded to be angry. Seriously? Let's check to see if this is true. Remember, don't ever just assume what you hear is true—no matter who's telling you. Often people say things they've heard, but they don't take the time to research to see who said it and where this "truth or lie" came from. The only way to know what is true and what is a lie is to see what God said in His Word. Let's do that regarding anger, beginning with this verse:

"Stop being bitter, angry, and mad at others. Don't yell at one another, curse each other, or ever be rude" (Ephesians 4:31). "I'm boiling mad inside. I constantly feel upset, and my suffering has only just begun." (Job 30:27).

3 Notoriously Angry Men in Scripture

There are many angry men in the Bible, and also the consequences suffered by men who could not "rule over" their anger. Let's start at the very beginning with Cain.

Angry Cain. As far as Cain, his anger was triggered when God had no respect for his offering, as He did for Abel's. So Cain became very angry, and it said, "his countenance fell." "Regarding Cain and his offering, God did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it" (Genesis 4:5).

Cain’s pride and anger towards his brother took over to the point of him committing the first murder! Is this possible today? Absolutely YES. Don't think for a second that being angry can't lead to violence, and sadly, most homicides continue to happen within families and close relationships. 

Angry Moses. Moses was a man whom God used greatly. Yet it was his anger that often got in his way. “But they did not listen to Moses... and Moses was angry with them” (Exodus 16:20). Many times, Moses was angered by the disobedience and sinfulness of the people he was called to lead to the Promised Land. “An angry man stirs up strife, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression” (Proverbs 29:22). Count how many times Moses exhibits his anger, which ultimately he paid the price for.

1. “But Moses searched carefully for the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it had been burned up! So he was angry with Aaron’s surviving sons . . .” (Leviticus 10:16).

2. “Then Moses became very angry and said to the Lord, ‘Do not regard their offering! I have not taken a single donkey from them, nor have I done harm to any of them’” (Numbers 16:15).

3. “And Moses was angry with the officers of the army . . .” (Numbers 31:14).

4. Moses said, “And all these your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who follow you,’ and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger” (Exodus 11:8).

5. “And it came about, as soon as Moses came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses’ anger burned, and he threw the tablets from his hands and shattered them at the foot of the mountain” (Exodus 32:19).

6. Speaking to Moses, “Aaron said, ‘Do not let the anger of my lord burn; you know the people yourself, that they are prone to evil’” (Exodus 32:22).

Moses was a man blessed by God in many ways, but his anger caused him to miss the blessing of going into the Promised Land. Moses was barred from entering the Promised Land because he disobeyed God by angrily striking a rock twice instead of speaking to it to bring forth water, so God chose Joshua to take Moses' place. 

Now it's time to stop and get real. Have you ever thrown anything when you were angry? Don’t make the mistake of using Moses’ anger as an excuse for your own anger. The truth is that God did use him mightily "in spite of" his weakness in this area of anger, but to excuse sin is placing yourself on dangerous ground, and like Moses, you will reap the consequences.

Don't risk missing out on huge blessings because you fail to conquer your anger with self-control. Now let's go to the next example, Jonah.

Angry Jonah. “But it greatly displeased Jonah, and he became angry” (Jonah 4:1).

“And the Lord said [to Jonah], ‘Do you have good reason to be angry?’” (Jonah 4:4). Many times, after you calm down, aren’t you surprised when you realize how stupid it was to get so angry over something so small and insignificant? So often you can't even remember what you were angry about or what triggered you, right?

How dangerous is anger? We already saw it caused Cain to murder his brother and for Moses to miss entering the Promised Land. Is there more? But what if you just say something and don't act on it? “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, ‘Raca, idiot, good-for-nothing’ is guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell” (Matthew 5:22).

Was the Lord just talking about being angry with a brother? No. He was talking about being angry with anyone—especially family! Does that mean that you are guilty enough for hell? Well, I read that, didn't you?

Thankfully, if you are His, if you're a born-again Christian Believer, the Lord saved you from the consequences of your sin because He continues to cleanse us from our sins. If you're not sure, take a moment to go back to Chapter 5 since it's so easy to know you are His.

To be set free from any sin, it's also easy, God says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Note that He says if we confess. The question then is, if you have a problem with anger, have you confessed this sin to the Lord your Savior?

Have you then confessed it to the people you've wronged? "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with" (James 5:16).

If you search deeper, “Raca” means “worthless” in Greek. Have you ever told someone, like a younger sibling, or heaven forbid, a parent, that they were worthless? If so, God says, not me, but Him, that you are guilty of fiery hell, unless you repent. If you think that you will lose their respect when you humble yourself by asking them to forgive you, try it and see. They may just give you the respect that you’ve been longing for from them. Regardless of how they respond, making sure we're right with God must be our top priority, wouldn't you agree?

Lies. Commanded to be angry? “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil a way to defeat you ...” (Ephesians 4:26-27). As I mentioned in the beginning, it's shocking how many preachers have used this Bible verse to tell the people in their pews "who want to have their ears tickled" (2 Timothy 4:34) that we are literally "commanded" to be angry. Taken out of context, this may appear true. Yet, when searching for the truth, we need to read the entire passage. Taking time to read above and below the verse and then comparing it to what God says throughout His Word. 

Anger is a natural reaction when someone offends us, or should we say a "fleshly" reaction. But as His followers, we must walk in the Spirit! “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

I Was Only Joking

Are you a madman? One of the most common snares that men fall into is joking around. Do you tease those closest to you, like your family, teasing them about their weaknesses? Or worse, sometimes teasing them about things a person close to you has confided in you? "Just as damaging as a madman shooting a deadly weapon is someone who deceives and lies to a friend and then says, 'I was only joking" (Proverbs 26:18-19). Men tend to enjoy teasing each other, but women, females, don't. 

Obscene stories, foolish talk, or coarse jokes. “Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes are out of character for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do.” (Ephesians 5:4-7).

Speak as a child. Do you joke, jest, talk silliness, or waste your words with nonsense? As I said, most females hate to be teased. Some are good sports about it; most are not. When you were only a boy, you may have practiced your jokes and talked nonsense with your friends while at school or in sports. You may have even practiced your teasing on the outcasts at school, and more than likely with your brothers or sisters.

Don't you think it's time to grow up? “When we were children, we thought, reasoned, and spoke as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways.” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Now that you are a Wise Man Warrior, put away your childish behavior.

The Source of Your Anger is Pride!

“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride” (Daniel 4:37).

Why are so many Christian men angry? Is it because Christian men imitate the world and the world’s thinking? The church continues to present us with a Christianized worldly view, but beware, it's deadly.

Poison dipped in chocolate is still poison! Warriors, the deadly worldly views are more dangerous when they are dipped in Christianity, because everyone eats it right up. Believers have been brainwashed into thinking that “self-love” and “self-esteem” are good things; yet, these attitudes are the root of our problem. Isn't it the “know-it-all” who argues and wants his own way? He arrogantly knows (thinks) he is right? And when he is wrong, his self-esteem needs to be protected. You never hear “I’m sorry” or "I was wrong."

Psychology in the church. It is horribly dangerous for Christians to act as if man’s ideas or psychology are God’s Word or using God’s Word to promote current worldly views in the church. God said, “‘The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My Word speak My Word in Truth. What does straw have in common with grain?’ declares the Lord . . . ‘Behold, I am against the prophets,’ declares the Lord, ‘who use their tongues and declare, 'the Lord declares.”’” (Jeremiah 23:28, 30, 31). What does psychology (straw) have in common with God’s Word (grain)? Nothing!

Self-Esteem

Are you being conditioned to have self-esteem? The word “self-esteem” should make a Christian cringe since it is just another word for “pride.” This is a wolf’s word in sheep’s clothing! You will soon witness yourself acting arrogant and self-absorbed. What's worse is that you're miserable! It is laughable to think that anyone needs to be built up to feel good about themselves—most people are completely self-absorbed already! From birth, a child wants his own way, so he cries. A two-year-old screams and pitches a fit until he gets what he wants, right?

Pride is a sin. Pride was the first sin ever committed by the angel Lucifer, who later became Satan who said, “I will make myself like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:14). Then God passed judgement on his pride, “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I [God] threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before the world" (Ezekiel 28:17). 

“Self-esteem” began as a lie, formed by twisting God's Word. Satan used Scripture when he tempted Jesus in the desert, and he uses it today. He just twists the truth a little and makes it a half-truth. But we know that anything that is half-true is a lie. 

“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Everyone spreads the lie that this means you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else. In other words, “self-love” is necessary, and most of us hate ourselves. Is this true or a lie? It is a lie! Why—because it contradicts God’s Word. God says, “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it ” (Ephesians 5:29). Some claim those who are self-destructive hate themselves, but that, too, is a lie. They are thinking of ridding themselves of the pain, but not the indescribable pain that their destruction towards themselves will hurt an endless number of others.

The world tells us to speak well of ourselves, but the Lord said, “And whoever exalts himself [put yourself above others] will be humbled; and whoever humbles himself will be exalted and honored” (Matthew 23:12).

Learn from Nebuchadnezzar—his grandson didn’t. Nebuchadnezzar, who was proud of his power and wealth, was made to be like the cattle of the field and to eat grass. Yet his grandson chose to exalt himself. “Yet you, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself...” (Daniel 5:22-23). What a fool!

Why do you boast? “For who regards you as superior? And what do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it from God, why do you boast...” (1 Corinthians 4:7).

What is the cure? God told us that if we would humble ourselves, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways, He would heal us. Instead, we “walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1) and we “trust in mankind” (Jeremiah 17:5). This is why we have superficial healing! “The brokenness of His people is healed superficially” (Jeremiah 8:11).

As we humble ourselves, then God is free to exalt us. “Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may elevate you at the proper time...” (1 Peter 5:5-6). “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble... Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will promote you” (James 4:6, 11).