Another sin that grieves the Holy Spirit is anger. "If you are angry, don't sin by nursing your grudge" (Eph. 4:26a TLB).

When I was in Bible College, I memorized most of my verses from the King James Version. The KJV says, "Be ye angry, and sin not." That always puzzled me. It almost sounded like God endorsed anger. "Be angry, but don't sin." If anger is a sin, how can that be? Doesn't the Bible also say, "Anger rests in the bosom of fools" (Ecc. 7:9).  Aren't we to put away all anger (Eph. 4:31)? Isn't anger a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20,21)? How, then, do some Christians justify anger?

On our website you will find a link to www.focusonthescriptures.com. James S. Davis has done an excellent study on "The Action of Anger." I would recommend you go to his website and see what he has to say. He calls anger, and rightly so, "a negative, destructive, and toxic emotion." We see it in divorces, broken homes, schools, workplaces, in Congress, even in churches. The Bible says to lay aside anger (Col. 3:8). If nothing more than for our health's sake, we ought to do that. I used to get very angry when I was a young man. As I have matured in Christ, I have learned to lay aside anger. You can do it, too.

Brother Davis write, "Based on the Greek text, and the context, the following translation of Ephesians 4:26 &27 would be a more complete expression of the ideas conveyed in the original words of the text: "You are being angry. Do not continue sinning. Do not allow the sun to be setting on that which is provoking your anger events. And, neither give the devil any portion of space, place or dwelling."

My mentor, Donald G. Hunt, once confessed that when he was a boy he used to get very angry at his brothers, even to the point of hurling objects at them. I just couldn't imagine my Bible College professor doing that! But he learned the discipline of laying aside anger. I am still working on it. You can too! Don't grieve the Holy Spirit by outbursts of anger!