Do you know what one of man’s worst enemies is? It is his anger. When we lose our temper, when we become angry, we become unreasonable, we make rash threats, we accuse falsely, we speak things we later wish we should not have. Anger is an emotion which, if not handled properly, distorts the truth, brings doubts and accusations, destroys peaceful lives and families, and destroys friendships and fellowships.
In order to control our anger, in order to have the mind of Christ (Messiah), we should see what the Bible has to say about anger.

1. People with hot temper do foolish things, or as the Authorized Version says, ‘he that is soon angry dealeth foolishly’ (Prov.14: 17) A fool is one who refuses to be taught or to learn. A fool is not a mentally retarded person, but is one who lacks moral qualities. No matter how knowledgeable you may be, no matter how religiously active or spiritual you may appear to be, the Scripture says that if you cannot control your temper, you are a fool. If you have no control over your temper, you have no control over your life.                                                                                                          
2. It is smart to be patient but stupid to lose your temper. ‘He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding’ (Prov.14: 29) When you are under the influence of uncontrolled anger, you make mistakes, you cannot think clearly and you talk foolishly. The best thing to do in such circumstances is to avoid trouble. Eccl.7:9 says, ‘be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.’   
A man who is slow to anger understands his own faults and also of others. So he can excuse the other person’s folly and be calm and composed. A mild, patient man is to be appreciated as he understands wisdom and Christ (Messiah).
3. A wise man restrains his anger and overlooks insults. ‘The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression’. (Prov.19: 11) The man of God (Elohim) must control his temper. A fool lets out all his anger but a wise man brings himself under control. An angry man is a fool who makes mistakes. For some people anger is a natural response. Everyone has some areas where he needs control. Some people tend to eat a lot, some people are naturally jealous of everyone, for some it may be gambling. Whatever may be out of control, God (Elohim) wants to bring it under control. God (Elohim) wants to control an angry spirit.
4. Anger destroys friendships and produces strife. It separates parents from children, brother from brother and friend from friend. A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. (Prov.18: 19) Anger separates people and once they are separated, winning them back is very difficult.
5. Do not choose angry men for friends or you will become angry too. ‘Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go’. (Prov.22: 24) We learn and pick up many habits from our friends. We should therefore be careful of what company we keep, because we may end up becoming like them. A warning about anger should be displayed which will read,’ constant exposure to anger is dangerous for your soul’!
6. Do not unnecessarily anger those in authority over you.  According to the scriptures, a king is a symbol of godly authority. ‘The wrath of a king is as messengers of death: but a wise man will pacify it.’ (Prov.16: 14) Being angry or provoking anger in others is not a matter to be taken lightly. An uncontrolled temper is a hallmark of fools.

It is not just man who gets angry. We read in the scriptures that God (Elohim) also gets angry. But His anger is when people disobey him, when his children do not trust him. He gets angry at the partial obedience. This does not mean that we can get angry at everything God (Elohim) gets angry at. God (Elohim) is holy, and He has never sinned, He alone has the right to get angry. Even His anger does not last forever. In spite of His anger, he still loves us because He is a God (Elohim) of mercy.
If we think back on the things that make us angry, and put ourselves in the other person’s place, we will realize that our anger was not justified.  But by that time it will be too late. The damage is already done. Relationships and friendships are ruined. Our reputation is lost.

Next time we are angry, remember the anger of the Lord.
 His anger is slow in coming. “The Lord is slow to anger and plenteous in mercy”, Ps.103:8. We read in Nehemiah 9:17 that He is ‘gracious, merciful and slow to anger’.
His anger is of a short duration. Psalms.30:5 says that His anger endures but for a moment. If it lasts longer then the earth will be destroyed. He retaineth not his anger forever because he delghteth in mercy. (Mic.7: 18)
He forgives and forgets when it is over. ‘He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us’, (Mic.7: 19) David wrote, ‘there is forgiveness in thee’. He will have compassion on us, he will tread our sins under his foot and throw all our sins into the depths of the seas. (Mic.7:19)
He longs to comfort us when it is over. Isa. 12:1, ‘though you were angry with me, your anger is turned away, and you will comfort me.’  Weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning. (PS.30: 5)
His anger is justified. Let us not imitate the Lord when we are angry and destroy everything and everyone around us but rather imitate his anger and mercy and see that our anger is not long lasting. Let our anger be tempered with mercy so that after our anger passes away, we are again reconciled to our neighbor.