I have squirrels in my yard that drive me crazy. Whether it’s eating my strawberries or chewing on deck furniture, these diabolical creatures never relent. I try to haze them and run them off, but neighbors on either side of me enjoy feeding the squirrels, so they never go far. I pray for hawks or foxes to discover the plenty of game, to little avail. Mostly I get angry and hurl a few choice words, which the squirrels seem to take in stride.

David wrote about anger in the midst of his leadership journey: Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent.

One can be angry and be in the right. Anger doesn’t necessarily lead to sin. If someone cuts me off in traffic and creates a dangerous situation, I’m justified in my anger. But if I pass that person and flip them a sign of disrespect, then my anger has morphed into sin.

David goes on to say: Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord. One helpful action with our anger is to take it to the Lord. Back away and give the situation some thought. Take a deep breath, keep quiet, and offer the outrage up to God. This practice gives balance to our initial reactions that tend to escalate the situation.

Sometimes well-placed anger moves us to take useful action. David showed this throughout his life, including his confrontation with Goliath. Acting on our anger after careful thought often leads to necessary change. Blowing up in the moment—not so much.

The result of taking our anger to the Lord? David closes with one way he experienced God in the midst of righteous anger: In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

In the end, our Father helps us make things right. We may suffer in the interim and remain frustrated with situations beyond our control. But the Lord provides the peace needed to lie down and get a good night’s sleep, a pleasure anger never yields.

Psalm 4

Photo by Alexandra Mirgheș