What Does Anger Do to You?

Many Christians can quickly recall the story in Daniel chapter 3 of the miraculous deliverance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego from the fiery furnace when they refused to worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had created. What recently caught my attention and forced me to examine my life was how King Nebuchadnezzar responded to the defiance of these three men when they stood before them.

Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Daniel 3:19–20

While not defending the pride-hungry heart of King Nebuchadnezzar, we might not be surprised that he was angry. He was the king, and these men were defying his (perceived) authority. But what was the RESULT of His anger?

His visage was changed
Heat the fiery furnace 7 times more than it normally was.
Use the most mighty men to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego

King Nebuchadnezzar’s anger caused him to become irrational. We might say “he lost his mind”. Did he need the most mighty men to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego? No. Would the typical furnace temperature be sufficient to kill these men? Yes.

While we might not (thanks to God’s grace) be in the same position as King Nebuchadnezzar, can we fall into the same result with our anger?

Think of some situations:

Someone cuts in front of us in the car or at the grocery store.
A teenager accidentally runs into us coming around a corner without saying excuse me or apologizing.
Your spouse or child doesn’t do something you have asked them to do multiple times.
Someone else gets the biggest piece of cake on YOUR birthday.

For the child on their birthday missing the biggest piece of cake, they might throw a temper tantrum, or even throw their cake. We might speak in a derogatory way about all teenagers because of the actions of one. The event on the highway might dangerously lead to road-rage. Oh, how prone we are to overreact!!!

What is the root cause or our reaction? Pride! How dare you do that to me? I don’t deserve that!

The Bible is clear that the move to hasty anger is foolishness:

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. Ecclesiastes 7:9

He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: But he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. Proverbs 14:29

For Nebuchadnezzar, here was the result:

Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Daniel 3:22

The most mighty men were lost. I would not be surprised if the furnace was also damaged by overheating! There was collateral damage to the irrational anger of Nebuchadnezzar.

The same is true in our lives. We can hurt feelings, alienate family members, or even worse, injure someone.

Can we be righteously angry? Yes. Our Savior was (see Mark 3:5). When something is done to demean the value of Jesus Christ before others, we are right to be angry. This anger is appropriate because something of infinite value is being demeaned.

However, even in this case, our response to anger should never be lose our minds and lash out. Never to get even. Never to prove our point. We leave this in the hands of God.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Romans 12:19

But more often, not only is our response sinful, the anger to begin with is rooted in our own pride.

Focus your heart on what is most valuable (Jesus Christ) and you will have main ingredient necessary to avoid foolish and sinful anger.