Fired Up: From Anger to Action
Originally delivered at New Hope Community Church on October 27, 2024.
Road Rage
Let me ask you a simple question: “When was the last time you got angry?”
Maybe it was this morning when that driver cut you off in traffic. Maybe it was last night when your teenage kid rolled their eyes at you one too many times. Or maybe you’re angry right now about something deeper - an injustice you’ve witnessed, a relationship that’s broken, or a situation at work that just isn’t fair.
In fact, I remember a time driving home from work and I was stuck in just terrible traffic. Right here on Concord. Just sitting there in my car, gripping the steering wheel, knuckles white. “What is taking so long?”
“Traffic is moving! Go!”
And just to justify myself a little here, as of 2019 the American Automobile Association (or AAA), reported that as many as 8 in 10 American drivers had engaged in aggressive driving. They estimated that:
55 million drivers sped to prevent another vehicle from passing them.
75 million drivers tailgated another vehicle to prevent another vehicle from merging in front of them.
62 million drivers had rushed to merge into traffic in front of another vehicle.
71 million drivers had honked or made “rude” gestures.
Now, as a pastor here at this church, I just feel like I have to tell you that if you decide to wave at someone on the road, and that wave doesn’t involve all of your fingers, it can be a dangerous thing. In fact, I saw an article about an incident near Salt Lake City this past week. The headline read, and this is a sentence I’ve never read before: “Road Rage Bullet Hits Tip of Raised Finger.”
Now, there’s a story that gets your attention! Apparently, this 25-year-old guy was sitting at a stoplight around midnight when a woman pulled up beside him. The light turns green, they both try to merge onto the interstate, and things get heated. She’s driving aggressively, he’s driving aggressively back (we’ve located two of the 60 million drivers from earlier). She yells something, and he responds with what may call the “universal sign of disapproval.” Well, she responds with her own sign of disapproval and pulls out a .357 gun and fires four shots into his car. One of them hits his middle finger. I guarantee you the next time this guy experiences road rage, he’s going to think twice before acting on it. Same for her - as she was arrested. But isn’t it amazing how anger can take something as simple as merging onto a highway and escalate it until someone’s pulling out a weapon and the police get involved? Yet anger grips us all the time - not just on highways, but in our workplaces, in our homes, or in our relationships.
You know, I saw an article recently that said Americans are angrier than ever before. A 2023 poll showed that 84% of Americans are angrier today than a generation ago. But here’s what’s interesting - when you ask people if they personally are angry, most say no. It’s always those “other people” who have the anger problem right? Not me. Not you. Someone else. Anger seems like it’s that relative that nobody wants to talk about but that shows up at every family gathering anyway. We all deal with it. The question isn’t whether we’ll face anger; it’s about what we’ll do with it when it shows up.
The Nature of Anger: Not All Anger is Created Equal
As I was preparing for today, I came across something from Pastor Jud Wilhite. He said,
“Notice it’s not events that make us angry, it’s how we think about those events.”
Take the road rage incident – was it really about merging into traffic? No. It was about how they thought about that moment – about pride, control, being disrespected.
The Nature of Anger: Not All Anger is Created Equal
And this isn’t just some modern take on it. Three thousand years ago, King David was dealing with the same issue. Turn with me to Psalm 37 (this is where we’ll be largely today). As you’re turning there, this is a Psalm that David wrote in his later years – and we know this because in verse 25 he tells us, “I have been young, and now am old.” This is wisdom from someone who’s been there, who has experience in handling anger God’s way.
Look at verses 1-2 with me:
“Fret not yourself because of evildoes; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.”
That word ‘fret’ in Hebrew is "תִּתְחַר" (charah) literally means “to burn” or “to blaze.” But it's actually in the reflexive form, which means it's something you do to yourself. David is literally saying, "Don't set yourself on fire because of evildoers." Isn't that powerful? When we let anger consume us, we're the ones getting burned.
In fact, there’s something really fascinating happening in this text that we might miss in English. The Hebrew uses three different words for anger throughout this psalm, and each one reveals something important about how anger works in our lives.
This word "fret" (חָרָה, charah) that means "to burn" - it's like that initial spark of anger
Later in verse 7, we'll see another word that means "to rage" (חֵמָה, chemah) - that's when the spark becomes a flame
And in verse 8, we'll see a word (אַף, aph) that literally refers to the nostrils, because the ancient Hebrews noticed how anger makes your nostrils flare!
So we see this progression of anger from that initial spark, to the anger itself, to the outward display of it. It’s talking about that kind of anger that makes you hot under the collar, that makes your face turn red. And notice – David doesn’t just say “don’t get angry.” He tells us what causes our anger – looking at “evildoers” and getting envious of “wongdoers.”
The Nature of Anger: Not All Anger is Sinful
See, this is great because it’s getting at something crucial about anger. Look at verse 7 now with me:
“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”
What’s fascinating about this verse is that while throughout the Psalm we get this progression of anger, we also get a progression for dealing with it. First, “be still,” then “wait patiently,” and only then does he say “fret not yourself.” We need a process. We need steps to follow.
Because David understood that there are different kinds of anger. And this lines up perfectly with what Paul would later write in Ephesians 4:26:
“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”
So Paul also doesn’t say, “never get angry.” Instead he’s telling us that when we do get angry, “do not sin.” The Greek word he uses here is "ὀργίζεσθε" (orgizesthe), and it means to irritate, provoke, or make angry. And get this because of the way this word is being used (as an imperative), Paul's essentially saying, "Look, you're going to get angry. You're human. But here's what matters - what you do next."
Let me share something Jud Wilhite said that really captures this:
“Being angry is not a sin, but what you do with that anger can lead to sin.” He goes on to say something profound: “Sometimes it’s a sin to be angry; other times it might be a sin to NOT get angry.”
Think about that for a moment. There are things that should make us angry. Human trafficking. That makes me mad. Racism. Yep – that makes me angry. When we see injustice – that makes me mad. Someone dragging God’s name through the mud – that makes me angry. Those things should stir something in us.
This is why David, in Psalm 37, keeps coming back to this theme of not fretting, of not letting anger consume us. Because essentially what we have are two types of anger:
Righteous Anger
Look at verse 9 of our psalm:
“For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait on the LORD shall inherit the land.”
David isn’t saying that we shouldn’t care about evil or injustice. But rather, this is the kind of anger that Jesus showed when He cleansed the temple. It’s anger that burns for justice, not for revenge. It’s controlled, not controlling. It’s focused on resolution, not revenge. It leads to action, not reaction. It builds up rather than tears down.
Let me give you some biblical examples of righteous anger:
Moses breaking the tablets when he saw the golden calf (Exodus 32:19).
Nehemiah’s anger at the exploitation of the poor (Nehemiah 5:6)
Jesus overturning the money changer’s tables (John 2:13-17).
Sinful Anger
Look at verses 1-2 again. David warns us about the kind of anger that comes from envy, from comparing ourselves to others. This is Cain killing Abel. His anger wasn’t about justice - it was about jealousy. It wasn’t about fixing what was wrong, but rather it was about making himself feel right. And that’s where most of our anger lives, isn’t it? I mean, let’s be honest:
When someone cuts us off in traffic, are we actually angry about highway safety?
When kids push your buttons, is our anger really about what happened in that moment, or is it about our own pride and sense of control?
When someone else gets the promotion that we wanted so badly, are we angry about injustice or just jealous?
It’s like holding onto bitterness like it’s your favorite coffee mug – familiar, comfortable, but this coffee mug poisons everything you drink from it. Here’s the thing about sinful anger - it always promises justice but it delivers destruction. Notice what David says in Psalm 37:8:
“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”
That word “tends” in this is important. David’s saying anger has a direction, a momentum, like we saw with how progression of the original language throughout the Psalm. If we don’t handle it God’s way, it will tend toward evil.
The Danger Zone: Why Anger Becomes Destructive
And that’s exactly what that story earlier about road rage shows us. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says to themselves, “You know what? Ahhh… Today’s the day. I think I’m just going to fly into a rage today. No wait! I know! I’m going to pull a gun on someone in traffic today. First person to cut me off. Can’t wait!” No one plans to lose control. No one gets out their calendar, sits down, and plans out a time to destroy a relationship. No, It’s like a snowball heading down a mountain. It starts small – just a little ball of snow. But as it rolls, it picks up speed and size until it becomes an avalanche, destroying the things in its path.
Anger certainly has a way of hijacking our best intentions.
But look at what David prescribes as the solution, right there in verse 3:
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”
You know, one of the things that I heard quite a bit from people when I was preparing this message was, “Oh you’re preaching on anger? That’ll be interesting! You don’t seem to ever get angry.” And you know, for a long time, I think I’ve worn that kind of reputation as a badge of honor. “That’s right” I’d think to myself, “I do have this anger thing totally under control.” But hear me in this: sometimes appearing calm on the outside isn’t the same as having victory over anger. Sometimes it’s being good at hiding it. And that’s not what David is teaching us here.
Look at what he says in verses 3-4:
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Again, David doesn’t say, “Hey Austin – you’re doing great, just keep it all bottled up inside.” He also doesn’t say, “Hey New Hope – just act calm like your associate pastor seems to be.” No – he’s giving us something much more profound. He gives us a step-by-step approach to handling anger God’s way. Let’s break this down:
“Trust in the LORD” (verse 3) When we’re angry, our natural instinct is to trust in ourselves – our judgment, our reactions, our right to be angry. But David says, “No – trust in the LORD.” When you feel that anger rising, that first crucial choice is: “Will I trust my emotions, or will I trust God?”
“Do good” (verse 3) Notice the order here. It’s first trust, then action. It’s like David is saying, “Don’t let your anger dictate your actions. Let your trust in God guide what you do next.”
“Delight yourself in the LORD” (verse 4) This is fascinating because when we’re angry, what do we usually focus on? What’s making us angry, right? But David says, “Shift your focus. Find your joy in God.”
This isn’t just anger management – this is anger transformation. And I love that this comes from David – remember, this is the same David who was hunted by Saul (have you ever been hunted before? Literally hunted?), betrayed by his own son Absalom, and faced countless enemies.
These steps are so crucial for us because anger has a way of making us forget who God is, doesn’t it? When we’re sinfully angry:
We forget that God is sovereign – so David says, “Trust in the LORD”
We forget that God is already working – so David says, “Do good”
We forget God is our source of joy – so David says, “Delight yourself in the LORD”
Now look at verse 5:
“Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.”
I know we’ve covered quite a bit of the original language today, but, I’m pointing it out again – that word “commit” here is interesting in Hebrew. It literally means “to roll.” It’s like David is saying, “roll your anger onto God like you’d roll a heavy boulder off of your shoulders.” Think about that image for a moment. When you’re carrying a heavy weight, what happens? Your shoulders get tense, your lower back hurts, you can’t move freely. That’s exactly what anger does to us spiritually and emotionally. So why not roll that anger off of your shoulders?
James 4:1 helps us understand why this is so important. He asks,
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle with you?”
You see, our anger often comes from our desires being frustrated. But when we commit our way to the Lord, we’re saying, “God, I trust Your way more than my desires.” When someone cuts me off in traffic, am I actually concerned about automobile safety? Or is it about – “How dare they cut me off.” “I was trying to get somewhere. How dare that guy. Oh wait it was a woman. Of course.” I’m just kidding. But is it an ego thing? When we roll these situations to God, we’re admitting that our desires aren’t more important than His purposes.
Let’s keep reading in Psalm 37. Look at verses 7-8 with me:
“Be still before the LROD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”
David gives us three more crucial steps here:
“Be still before the LORD” When we’re angry, everything in us wants to act, to react, to do something. But David says, “Be still.” The original language here for still in Hebrew means to be silent, pause, or wait. It’s like a doctor saying, “Take a deep breath and count to ten,” but with a spiritual purpose. Being still isn’t just about calming down; it’s about creating space for God to work. Which brings to the very next phrase:
“Wait patiently” And this is probably the hardest part, isn’t it? When we’re angry, what do we want? Immediate resolution. Instant justice. But David reminds us that God’s timing is better than our timing. Think about Joseph in Genesis – he had to wait years to see God’s justice, but what did God do with that waiting time? He used it to prepare Joseph for that time, to prepare him for leadership.
“Refrain from anger” The Hebrew word here is powerful – it means to loosen your grip, to let go. So while in our translation we get the phrase “refrain from anger,” it’s not about suppressing anger; it’s about releasing it to God. It’s like unflinching a fist – it’s awfully hard to receive peace from God when your fist is still clenched tightly around your anger.
Let’s continue now and look at what David promises in verses 9-11:
“For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”
You see, there’s a spiritual battle going on here. Paul understood this when he wrote in Ephesians 4:27:
“Do not give the devil a foothold.”
The word “foothold” in Greek literally means “a place” or “an opportunity.” When we let our anger control us, we’re actually giving the enemy territory in our lives. That’s why David keeps emphasizing this idea of waiting on the Lord. Think about our road rage example from earlier. That situation escalated from a merge lane, a red light turning green, to gunfire. Why? Because with each little step along the way each person gave anger a little more control, a little more territory in their life.
First, aggressive driving – giving anger a foothold.
Then, yelling – surrendering more ground.
Then, rude gestures (“universals signs of disapproval”) – yielding more territory.
Finally, violence – complete surrender to anger’s control.
You know what’s interesting? This pattern of escalation appears throughout Scripture. Think about Cain and Able – it didn’t start with murder. It started with comparison, which led to jealousy, grew into anger, and ended in violence. Or King Saul – his anger toward David didn’t start with throwing spears. It began with a song, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” A small seed of jealousy stemming from comparison grew into years of murderous rage.
But David says in verse 10:
“In just a little while, the wicked will be no more.” – Psalm 37:10 (ESV)
Notice the perspective shift here. And don’t misinterpret this here, David isn’t saying, “Don’t worry, eventually you’ll get your revenge.” He’s saying, “God sees the bigger picture.” In that one short phrase, David’s reminding us that God sees, God knows, and God will act. Our job isn’t to take revenge; our job is to wait on Him. And this is absolutely crucial for those of us who think we’ve got this whole anger thing under control. Because you know what’s interesting about verse 11? It doesn’t say “the strong” will inherit the land, or “the ones who never ever get angry and somehow always seem to be calm” will inherit the land. It says, “the meek” will inherit the land.
Meekness isn’t weakness – it’s strength under control. It’s choosing to trust God’s justice more than my own sense of vengeance. It’s what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 5;5,
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5 (ESV)
Sound familiar? He’s quoting this Psalm.
So what do we do practically with all of this? David gives us the blueprint throughout this Psalm:
Recognize the Warning Signs (verse 1)
When you feel yourself starting to “burn” with anger
When you find yourself comparing your situation to others
When you’re tempted to take matters into your own hands
Ask yourself: “Am I angry because this is truly wrong, or because something isn’t going my way?”
Remember God’s Perspective (verses 2 and 10)
The things making you angry are temporary
God’s justice is certain
Your peace is more valuable than your revenge
Remember: God’s timeline is different from ours. He promises justice, not instance justice.
Respond God’s Way (verses 3 and 8)
Trust in the LORD instead of your anger
Do good instead of getting even
Be still instead of those knee jerk reactions
Wait on God’s timing instead of demanding immediate justice.
Practice what I call the “Psalm 37 Pause” – stop, pray, and ask: “What would trusting God look like in this moment?”
And now look at the promise with me in verse 11 again:
“the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”
Notice that phrase – “abundant peace.” Not just a little peace. Not just enough peace. Abundant peace. Here’s the bottom line: Anger will either be your master or your messenger. When you handle it God’s way, anger can actually alert you to areas where you need to trust God more, where you need to grow in patience, where you need to practice meekness. Let me close with this. Look at verse 40:
“The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.”
The next time anger shows up – and it will show up – you have a choice. You can let it master, or you can let it drive you to take refuge in God. You can let it burn down relationships, or you can let it build your trust in the Lord. You can let it push you toward revenge, or you can let it pull you toward God’s abundant peace.
Let’s pray together:
“Lord, we come to You right now, and we admit that anger is something we all struggle with. Some of us are carrying anger from years ago, some of us walked in with fresh wounds from this morning, and some of us have anger so deeply buried we don't even recognize it anymore. But You see us. You know our hearts. You understand our frustrations. And You offer us a better way. Help us to trust You when everything in us wants to take control. Give us the strength to be still when we want to react. Grant us the wisdom to wait on Your timing when we demand immediate justice.
Bring to mind specific areas where we need to apply these words from Psalm 37. Show us where we've been fretting instead of trusting, where we've been seeking revenge instead of seeking You, where we've been holding onto anger instead of releasing it to You. Thank You that You don't just tell us to handle our anger differently - You give us the power to actually do it. Help us to lean into that power this week.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
As we enter into our time of communion, I want us to really think about what happened the night that Jesus instituted this meal. He was facing the ultimate sacrifice, yet what did He do? Look at Luke 22:19-20 (ESV):
“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’”
Take a moment now to look at the bread you're holding. Think about the body of Christ, broken for you. Think about how He chose to be broken so that our brokenness - including our broken responses to anger - could be healed. If you're holding onto anger right now, imagine physically placing it at the foot of the cross. Jesus took all of that - all of our sin, all of our anger, all of our hurt - onto Himself. Now, look at the cup you're holding. This represents the blood of Jesus - blood that doesn't just cleanse us from sin but gives us power to live differently. The same Jesus who said "Father, forgive them" from the cross makes His home in us through His Spirit. As you prepare to drink, receive not just forgiveness, but the power to forgive, the strength to wait on God's justice, and the peace that comes from trusting Him. As you take communion this morning, remember - when anger shows up this week, you have a choice. You can take refuge in the One who chose to die for you rather than take revenge on you. You can trust His timing. You can experience His peace.
Let's pray one final time, and then you can take the elements:
“Father, thank You for the gift of Your Son. Thank You that at the cross, You took our anger and gave us Your peace. Help us to live this week as people transformed by Your grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.”