Human Imperfection, Teboho Kibe [read a book .txt] 📗

But we are often angry without just cause! Unlike Jehovah who sees everything, we have a limited view of any matter. (Hebrews 4:12, 13) For example, the wise man Solomon observed that “a word causing pain makes anger to come up.” (Proverbs 15:1) Sometimes, though, “a word” is spoken in innocence, or is just a poorly timed joke or a playful bit of teasing. Not realizing this, we bristle.

Finally, there is the fact that temperaments vary, and some of us appear to be more prone to anger than others. And as a youth, you are just beginning to learn to control all the new desires and urges that puberty brings. You may feel unsure of yourself, overly sensitive to criticism. Until you gain some mastery over your feelings, you are vulnerable to provocation—especially from within the family circle. “I lose my temper with my sister,” confesses 15-year-old Lorie. “She knows how to provoke me by saying something stupid or by correcting everything I say.” Tensions can similarly flare up between you and your parents.

Really, though, just about anything can make you angry if you let it. The question is, How do you handle those feelings of anger?

The book Reaching Your Teenager observed that “many people don’t know how to express anger sensibly.” Some throw childish tantrums. Some become violent, either verbally or physically. Others are outwardly calm but inwardly seething. As one young woman said: “When I get angry I don’t yell, I become cold and untalkative.” Still others get behind the wheel of their car and take out their anger in the way they drive.

“Man’s wrath does not produce God’s righteousness.”—James. 1:20.Anger in itself is not evil. The anger of Jehovah is the justifiable reaction of the wholly righteous God against sin, wickedness and all forms of unrighteousness. “Because of the aforesaid things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.” God’s wrath is completely under the control of his attributes of justice, wisdom, love and power. “Jehovah is slow to anger”—this the prophets Nahum, Joel and Jonah affirm. The psalmist says: “Jehovah is gracious and merciful, slow to anger.” And Jehovah himself gives this description at Exodus 34:6: “Jehovah went passing by before [Moses’] face and declaring: ‘Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness.’” Thus Jehovah sets the example in being slow about wrath.—Eph. 5:6; Nah. 1:3; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2, AS; Ps. 145:8.

How fitting, then, that God should require us to be slow about wrath. Explaining why slowness about wrath is especially important for imperfect humans, the inspired writer James said: “For man’s wrath does not produce God’s righteousness.” This is true for many reasons. Man’s anger is often excited without sufficient cause; it often transcends the cause, if any cause really exists. Man’s anger tends to operate without due regard to consequences; hence it inclines one toward all kinds of injuriousness. Human anger often leads to loss of self-control—to stormy rages and violent “fits of anger,” and this is classed among those unrighteous things of which the Bible says: “Those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom.” No, man’s wrath does not lead one to live by the righteous standards set by God.—Jas. 1:20; Gal. 5:20, 21.

A person seeking God’s favour is therefore keenly interested in being slow about wrath, that he may win the approval of the righteous God. “Jehovah is righteous in all his ways,” and the expression of his wrath is therefore righteous. But when a man acts in anger, he usually does not work out divine righteousness; indeed, he usually does something that he himself will later regret. The divine rule is certain: “The stupid is becoming furious and self-confident. He that is quick to anger will commit foolishness.” It has not escaped our notice that when men and women are quick to anger they usually make fools of themselves. This fact should make a deep impression on us. Not only does the one quick to anger tend to make himself appear foolish, but the result of his actions will be so much foolishness. Those who are quick to anger usually injure others, either by verbal or physical blows. Human anger thus tends to be selfish and injurious.—Ps. 145:17; Prov. 14:16, 17.

Unselfish, righteous anger is called indignation. When one’s conscience has been trained according to the righteous laws of God, it reacts spontaneously against what is wrong or evil in God’s sight. Jesus’ indignation resulted in firm speech and actions that worked out God’s righteousness. (Mark 3:5; John 2:14-17) The righteous anger of Christ Jesus was always under his control, always based on the grounds of truth and righteousness. The indignation of imperfect humans, however, could lead to unrighteousness, if prompted by misunderstanding and false reasoning. While Jesus was in Bethany a woman poured perfumed oil upon his head. “At this there were some expressing indignation among themselves: ‘Why has this waste of the perfumed oil taken place? For this perfumed oil could have been sold for upward of three hundred denarii and been given to the poor!’ And they were feeling great displeasure at her. But Jesus said: ‘Let her alone. Why do you try to make trouble for her? She did a fine deed toward me.’” Jesus went on to explain why their indignation was improperly aroused. So even when it comes to what men call indignation, it is the part of wisdom to be slow in expressing it, by allowing opportunity for all the facts and circumstances to be understood.—Mark 14:3-9.

Before coming to a knowledge of the divine will, a person is often quick about anger, perhaps given to explosive fits of temper, resulting in filthy speech and violent actions. “We all at one time conducted ourselves in harmony with the desires of our flesh, doing the things the flesh and the thoughts willed.” After one comes to a knowledge of Jehovah’s righteous will, he must make a change. God’s Word commands Christians: “Now really put them all away from you, wrath, anger, injuriousness, abusive speech, and obscene talk out of your mouth.” Note what unrighteousness is closely linked with wrath and anger—“injuriousness, abusive speech, and obscene talk.” How vital to make this change from being quick to anger to being slow to anger!—Eph. 2:3; Col. 3:8.

PUTTING ON THE NEW PERSONALITY

Being slow about wrath is part of the identifying mark of what the Bible calls “the new personality.” Describing the change that must be made by those seeking divine approval, the apostle writes: “Put away the old personality which conforms to your former course of conduct and which is being corrupted according to his deceptive desires; but that you should be made new in the force actuating your mind, and should put on the new personality which was created according to God’s will.” So it is God’s will that this change be made. God’s spirit is the force by which one makes his mind over, by which his mind must be actuated. Accurate knowledge of the divine will also plays a key role in effecting this change: “Strip off the old personality with its practices, and clothe yourselves with the new personality which through accurate knowledge is being renewed according to the image of the one who created it.” The “new personality” is not some kind of beautiful-looking mask that one puts on over “the old personality.” No, the “new personality” is not character development in which one develops outwardly sweet manners but inwardly he is still the same “old personality,” the mind not really being renewed according to God’s spirit and the divine will. There is no insincerity or hypocrisy associated with the “new personality.” It is genuine. It is not the “old personality” in disguise. It really shows heart-deep evidence of the fruits of God’s spirit: “The fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, mildness, self-control.”—Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:9, 10; Gal. 5:22, 23.

It is not impossible to make the change that God wills. Some persons are skeptical, especially those who may not yet fully embraced and conformed to the truth of God’s word. Many of these persons study this matter of conforming one’s mental attitude according to God’s will as a mere beautiful theory. They do not get the spiritual sense, the impulsive force. They do not understand the power of accurate knowledge, the power of God’s spirit, the power of a dedication to God for the doing of his will. The truth about the “new personality” is that it is not a theory; it is not man-made at all. “The new personality,” said Paul, “was created according to God’s will.”—Eph. 4:24.

God’s Word, then, is not written with the idea that a change cannot be made. It is written with the idea that a change can be made and must be made. God does not accept the excuse of a professed Christian who might say: “Why, I have always had a quick temper; it’s my temperament; I can’t change now.” In stating God’s will at Ephesians 4:31, the apostle makes no exception for those whose temperaments make them prone to be quick about wrath. Emphatically he states God’s will: “Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you along with all injuriousness.” So the common belief that the quick and explosive temper is an inherited trait and beyond restraint or change is false. There is abundant evidence that the change can be made. Thousands of persons in Jehovah’s witnesses once had quick tempers; today they are “slow about wrath.” They have truly put on the “new personality,” knowing that the Bible is written with the idea, not that we cannot change, but that we can!

What must one do to make the change? One must seek accurate knowledge of God’s Word. This requires private study of the Bible. It requires association with those who are doing the divine will and who have put on the “new personality.” By attending congregational meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses, one is continually built up spiritually, enabling one to make constant progress in putting on the “new personality.” True, it takes time to become a new personality, but, by setting the mind to make the necessary changes, one gains God’s approval and help. Pray for God’s spirit to actuate your mind.

Remember, too, that “an enraged man stirs up strife.” On the other hand, “one that is slow to anger quiets down contention.” (Prov. 15:18) Since peace and unity must prevail in Jehovah’s organization, there is no room for those who let their quick tempers stir up trouble and strife among God’s people. If one associating with the New World society persists in allowing his uncontrolled temper to stir up strife, Jehovah’s angels will take action against such offender and remove him from God’s organization. It is a serious matter to resist God’s will and spirit by refusing to put on the “new personality.”

MAN’S WRATH PRODUCES UNRIGHTEOUSNESS

In ruling against being quick to wrath, God’s Word roots out the cause of so much injuriousness. By even a casual glance at the newspapers, we observe how human anger readily associates itself with the desire to injure others or to inflict pain on them. Since there is usually a loss of self-control at the same time, what monstrous violence can result from a quick temper! Newspapers often tell about fights and killings caused by quickness about wrath. One newspaper recently told about a young boy who killed his mother “in a fit of rage” because she refused him the use of the telephone. How many murders have been committed in a fit of anger! They are beyond counting. Even husbands and wives, newspapers disclose, not infrequently kill one another, because someone has lost self-control in a fit of anger. The Bible tells how “Cain grew hot with great anger.” The result was the murder of his brother. King Saul hurled a spear at