Anger can kill. It may not be as quick as an automatic weapon, but it is just as deadly. In the introduction to their book Anger Kills, Williams & Williams say: "getting angry is like taking a small dose of some slow-acting poison—arsenic, for example—every day of your life. (p. vii )

"Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger," (Ephes. 4:26.)

Commenting on her song “Waiting for Love,” Pink said, “This is my first love song. I’ve only ever written hate songs. But I’d change this now if I had the chance. I’d change it to a hate ballad.”

According to Lorraine Ali, Pink (Alecia Moore) is one of “the pop scene’s most credible anti-heroes.” Ali describes her as a combination of obstinacy, attitude and anger.

—Newsweek, September 1, 2003, p. 56 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

That may be a winning combination to win the 2002 Video Music Award, but it is a losing combination for life.

Proverbs 14:29 NASB “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”

Record high gasoline prices after Hurricane Katrina stunned many Americans. As prices spiraled upward after the storm, many customers infuriated by the soaring cost of gasoline refused to pay and sped off after filling their tanks. Authorities say they believe most of these people feel they are sending a message to the big oil companies, but the real impact is to the local businesses.

Joe Hart, owner of Peterborough Oil Company in New Hampshire said, "We're just experiencing a wealth of drive offs." He added, "It's all shapes and sizes and ages of people, who, for some reason think they're shaking their fist at the oil-producing people, but it actually hurts us quite a bit." Nikki Richard, the manager of a local Shell station agreed, saying the number of drive-offs had climbed over the summer, but had really gotten out of control after the hurricane hit the Gulf Coast. Most gasoline retailers have begun asking customers to pay before pumping gas. Richard said, "This makes it easier on the cashiers. They were writing down every single license plate."

—Reuters, U.S. gas prices fuel "drive offs" by angry drivers, September 12, 2005. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

I think we can all relate to frustration over the high cost of gasoline, but anger does not give anyone the right to steal.

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NASB) "BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27] and do not give the devil an opportunity."

A Connecticut man was arrested in what officials believe may be the first recorded case of "leaf rage."They say the man, 67-year-old Michael Peters, became angry when city employees told him they would not remove leaves from his property.He was arrested after confronting workers clearing leaves in his neighborhood.

Operations Supervisor Robert Gerbert was one of the workers confronted by Peters. He described the Peters as a "raving maniac."Gerbert said Peters grabbed his shirt and refused to let go. Gerbert added, "The guy was spitting and swearing—it was the most disgusting scene I've ever seen."

Peters later said he was frustrated that his leaves had not been picked up in the more than thirty years he had lived at his home.Officials explained that the leaves weren't collected because they were on Peter's right of way, and not the street where workers collect them. City Worker Jim Crabb said crews would likely have come back to Peter's home to pick up the leaves if Peters had asked politely. Crabb added, "We're not big, mean Ogres."

—Associated Press, Man Arrested In 'Leaf Rage' Incident, November 16, 2004. Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Proverbs 29:11 (NIV) "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."

Professional golfer Tommy Bolt died in 2008 at the age of 92. Because of his displays of temper, many called him Thunder Bolt. He gave advice to others on how to display their displeasure properly on a golf course. One of his favorites was, “Always throw the club ahead of you so you can pick it up on your way.” Another well-intentioned warning was for the angry golfer, “Never break your driver and putter in the same round.”

Many believe his temper tantrums delayed his entry into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He defended his excesses by pleading that he never threw a club that didn’t deserve it. He pleaded that they haven’t yet made as many golf clubs as people have accused him of throwing.

--Golf Digest, February 2009. P. 164.Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 16:32 (NASB95) He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, And he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.

Robert Caton apparently had had a little too much to drink. Employees at the Tesco store in Andover, England refused to sell him anymore. The agitated Caton simply returned to his Rolls Royce and drove it through the front window crashing into the store and injuring six people.

-- World Magazine, June 20, 2009, p. 18 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

There are better ways to register a complaint with a store and its employees. Keeping our temper in check would be a good place to start.

Ephesians 4:26 (NRSV) “Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,”

“The Gulf of Mexico is not the only place blowout preventers fail,” according to Jeffrey Kluger in Time Magazine.

That is certainly the truth. We all need a blowout preventer on our temper. Sometimes they fail under stress. Our prayer should be that our blowout preventer functions properly, and we can use our stress reducer instead.

Ephesians 4:26 (NASB) BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

In Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes, “My actions are mine; your actions are yours. I am responsible for my behavior; you are responsible for yours. In reality, no one can make another angry. If I become angry at you, I am responsible for that reaction. (I am not saying that anger is wrong. It may well be the most appropriate and loving response that I am aware of at that moment.) But you do not make me angry. I make me angry at you. It is not the only behavior open to me. There is no situation in which anger is the only possible response.”

Proverbs 19:11 (NASB77) “A man's discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.”

In Caring Enough to Confront, David Augsberger writes, “Maturity is manifested in learning to be angry (at behaviors) and loving (toward persons) at the same time.”

Proverbs 14:29 NASB “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.”

Julie Exline of Case Western University focused her ten-year study on anger towards God. Her current findings, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, indicates that up to two thirds of people are angry at God for some situation in their lives. Lee Dye writes about her studies in an ABC news blog.

--http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/angry-god-thirds-americans-blame-god-problems-survey/story?id=12540557 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Asking questions such as, “Why does He allow babies to starve in third world countries,” or “why does He allow bad things to happen?” people are voicing their anger at God. How you deal with that anger depends on your belief concerning the nature of God, Exline explains. “If God is perfect, what’s the point of getting angry at Him? If He is prone to mistakes, isn’t anger basically questioning the very existence of God, or at least the limitations of His power?”

Jonah too, was angry with God. But a clear reading of his story makes clear that Jonah’s anger with God was more an issue of Jonah’s character than Gods. I suspect the same thing is true of us.

Jonah 4:1-4 (NIV) (1) But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. (2) He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (3) Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live." (4) But the LORD replied, "Have you any right to be angry?"

ANGER

A new study has found that people are often angry with God when they face difficult circumstances in life. The study also found that being angry with God was often associated with poor mental health. The two year study focused on university students and found that two out of every three respondents reported being angry with the Judeo-Christian God. The anger against God was found both inside and outside the religious community. Lead researcher for the study Julie Exline said half of the respondents who felt resentment toward God said their feelings were prompted by some distressing event or an event resulting in poor adjustment.

Exline said there are definite differences in the way people cope with anger. The more religious a person is, the less likely they are to get angry. Their typical response is to see difficult times as an opportunity to grow or be strengthened spiritually. The study found young people are more likely to experience anger towards God than those who older, partly because older people have been taught not to question God’s power. Exline also said the study found atheists and those who question the existence of God are more likely to harbor more frequent, prolonged feelings of ill will towards God. The study pointed to dire effects for those who continue to harbor anger towards God. Anger at God was associated with poor mental health, and slower medical recovery times. Exline said, “When people trust that God cares about them and has positive intentions toward them, even if they can’t understand what those intentions or meanings are, it tends to help resolve anger.”

--Study: Anger Toward God Linked to Poor Mental Health, http://www.christianpost.com/article/20110104/study-anger-toward-god-linked-to-poor-mental-health; January 4, 2011, Illustration by Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Job 2:9-10 (HCSB) (9) His wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” (10) “You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.

ANGER

In Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High, Kerry Patterson writes, “No matter how comfortable it might make you feel saying it—others don’t make you mad. You make you mad. You and only you create your emotions.“

- Crucial Conversations, Kindle Loc. 1409-11 Illustration by Jim L. Wilson

Proverbs 30:33 (CEV) If you churn milk you get butter; if you pound on your nose, you get blood— and if you stay angry, you get in trouble.

Jayme Leon wanted his money back and he wasn't going to take "no" for an answer. He was angry because his quarter pounder had onions on it and he claimed he ordered it without them. When he called to complain, an employee agreed to issue the refund so he showed up to get his money.

However, he showed up without the burger--he'd eaten it already. When the management refused to refund his money for the burger he was currently digesting, he "reportedly threw his soda in the manager's face, broke some glass, and smashed a cash register before driving away." --Jim L. Wilson

Onions on McDonald's burger send Gresham man into a "McFury," Gresham police say by Sara Hotman http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2012/09/onions_on_mcdonalds_burger_sen.html

Ephesians 4:26 (TLB) If you are angry, don’t sin by nursing your grudge. Don’t let the sun go down with you still angry—get over it quickly;

The HuffingtonPost.com quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson on the uselessness of anger. “For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.” Of course that is only the beginning of what you lose when you hold on to your anger, but it is a good reminder. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Ephesians 4:26 (HCSB) Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,

Antonius Hart Sr. and his son Antonius Hart Jr. drove away from the Pirtle’s Chicken restaurant without realizing the server forgot to add the wings they ordered. When they returned and complained the restaurant offered them replacement wings but that did not satisfy them--they demanded extra chicken for the inconvenience.

At that point they brandished an AK-47 to prove they were serious. Of course that trick landed them in jail, without the chicken at all. Most of the time, anger does not produce the results we expect. It certainly didn’t in this case. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/antonius-hart-fast-food-hold-up_n_3102190.html (accessed 7/1/13)

James 1:19-20 (CEV) My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. (20) If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things that God wants done.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has an anger problem. His lack of control has caused him several fines and suspensions from the NFL. Amazingly he received advice from one of the kings of anger, tennis star John McEnroe.

McEnroe told him; “Eventually it (uncontrolled anger) starts hurting you. In my case it was almost like a bad habit—like a smoker who couldn’t stop. . . . It’s become counterproductive for [Suh]. His career is going to be much shorter unless he gets his act together.”

Learning to control our anger is important for our health. It is doubly important for the believer because of our testimony. --Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Proverbs 14:17 (NIV) (17) A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.

In Florida, a Walmart worker became angry after a co-worker was awarded “employee of the month.” The jealous worker shot a hole in his co-worker’s SUV to retaliate.

The sheriff commented, “not we know why the perpetrator wasn’t chosen as employee of the month.”--Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell

Ephesians 4:31 (NASB) Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

The suspect in the armed robbery of a Subway sandwich shop told police that he had robbed the store because his “Subway Diet” failed him. After 18-year-old Zachary Torrance was arrested, he confessed to the crime and said he was motivated by anger and wanted to get some of his money back. He said after seeing Subway’s commercials featuring a man who lost 200 pounds eating the chain’s low-fat sandwiches, he wanted to try it. He told detective that the diet had not worked for him and he was upset. Torrance was charged with first-degree robbery and was being held on $250,000 bond.—Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

'Subway Diet' failure led to Subway robbery, Alabama suspect tells police, http://news.yahoo.com/subway-diet-failure-led-subway-robbery-alabama-suspect-203634232.html, Acessed October 31, 2014.

Proverbs 29:22 (NKJV) “An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.”

Angry outburst can do great damage. In a report published in the Wall Street Journal, the researchers said the evidence suggests people increase their risk for a heart attack more than eight times shortly after an intensely angry episode. They said, anger can also help bring on strokes and irregular heartbeat. They also evidence suggesting that anger can cause sleep problems, excessive eating, and even insulin resistance. Their research found that strong anger releases the hormones that can trigger an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and sugar metabolism. Though this would be helpful if a person had to mount a physical attack, it can be damaging when there is no way to express the anger. Redford Williams, the co-author of the study and director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at Duke University Medical Center, said “Anger is bad for just about everything we have going on physically.”--Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Angry outbursts really do hurt your health, doctors find,
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/03/24/angry-outbursts-really-do-hurt-your-health-doctors-find/?intcmp=ob_homepage_health&intcmp=obnetwork, Accessed March 24, 2015.

Ephesians 4:31 (HCSB) All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.

Police in Phoenix said a fight between two people in a car resulted in a critical injuries. Authorities reported that 23-year-old Luis Winkler got into an argument with the driver and then, allegedly crashed the car into the center barrier on purpose. Though the driver was injured, the fight escalated when Winkler began hitting him. Authorities took Winkler into custody, charging him with aggravated assault.

Without care, anger can take over our lives and cause us to do things we would not ordinarily do. —Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell

Fight between driver, passenger results in crash in Phoenix,https://www.yahoo.com/news/fight-between-driver-passenger-results-crash-phoenix-223634853.html?nhp=1, Accessed July 24, 2016.

Ephesians 4:13 (HCSB)“until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”

Anger

Not all mistakes are created equal. Take Carmen Chamblees’ mistake for instance. She was angry with her ex-boyfriend and decided to set his car on fire. I think we would all agree that was a mistake. She didn’t just think about it, or threaten to do it, she carried out her plan. Again, I think we would all agree that was a mistake. But that’s not all. She set the wrong care on fire.

Acting out in anger is always a mistake—setting the wrong care on fire, well, you can finish that sentence for me.

Ephesians 4:26 (HCSB)“Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,”

In an odd twist of circumstances, Mike Peyton, a Wyoming man had a ring returned to him 45 years after he threw it as far as he could in a fit of teenage rage. He told a local newspaper that his girlfriend at the time was wearing the ring when they broke up in the early 1970s. When she handed it to him, Peyton was so angry that he threw as far as he could. Recently, a man with a metal detector found the ring inscribed with Peyton’s initials and tracked him down using information from the high school. Peyton said he never thought he would see the ring again and was amazed to have it returned after so many years.—Jim L. Wilson & Jim Sandell

Ephesians 4:26 (HCSB)“Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger”

Police in western Colorado say a man battered someone’s pickup with a baseball bat and then left a note acknowledging that he had anger issues. The note left behind read, “Sorryy anger isusesh.”(sic). Authorities said the owner of the truck found the damage and the note when he returned after snowmobiling. Two witnesses told police that another man apparently thought the truck had parked too close to his vehicle. They saw the other driver swinging a bat and insisted that he leave a note. Police said with the help of the witnesses they arrested a 53-year-old man on charges of criminal mischief.–Jim L. Wilson and Jim Sandell.

Psalm 37:8 (HCSB)“Refrain from anger and give up your rage; do not be agitated—it can only bring harm.”

Some companies have created anger rooms where employees can de-stress by attacking computers. From that idea, Barbara Liess, a Maryland elementary school principal created a “smash space” where teachers could relieve tension by destroying old pieces of furniture with baseball bats. A number of parents didn’t think that was such a good idea and complained that the destruction sent a troubling message to children. Liess was forced to resign.

A wise man once wrote, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” The destruction of old computers and old furniture to soothe one’s anger is the way of fools. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Over the last 42 years, Bernie Carroll has earned the title of “Britain’s Angriest Man.” What did he do to earn it? He has been sending opinionated letters to his local newspaper every day. He originally focused his letters on the Liverpool city council. Over the years he expanded his rantings to topics like competitive eating, lip fillers, and doggie poo bags. He has written at least 15,000 letters. The newspaper publishes three or four of them every week. Carroll says he knows they don’t actually change anything, but they help him cope with all his anger. The invention of emails has made “being angry more affordable.”

I haven’t read any of the letters, but it may just be he is following scripture. Paul’s words are that when we are angry, we shouldn’t sit on the anger, but take care of it before bed time. If writing letters keeps him from holding the anger in or acting out on it, maybe they are good things. —Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell.

Ephesians 4:26–27 (CSB) “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.”

When Parcoul-Chenaud, a man living in France, sat down to enjoy his dinner, a house fly disturbed him. His angry response was to kill the fly. He grabbed an electric fly swatter and began swinging at the fly. The swatter then ignited a leaking gas canister in the home, leading to an explosion that damaged his kitchen and the roof. Fortunately, the man escaped the explosion with only a burn to his hand. — Jim Wilson and Rodger Russell