This is the third in a three-part series on handling anger from Psalm 4:4-5. Check out part 1 here. Check out part 2 here.

Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and put your trust in the Lord. ~ Psalm 4:4-5

Step 5: Do good.

Ah, here we go. The psalmist says, “offer right sacrifices.” In the Old Testament law, there were a bunch of rules involving sacrifices including when to offer them, how much, who was to kill the animal, for what purposes to offer them, etc. The sacrificial system was very serious to God. In fact, if you offered right sacrifices, it was an indication of your faith in God. 

In Genesis 4, Abel brought the first-fruits of his flocks, while Cain brought some of his crops. Abel’s heart was in it, Cain’s wasn’t. Cain was angry. God came to Cain and told him he simply needed to do what was right. Well, suffice to say he didn’t. In one chapter, we went from eating forbidden fruit to murder.

Cain didn’t deal with his anger in a good way. We all have the same potential and if we’re honest, murderous thoughts have been sprinkled in our hearts and some have even found fertile soil. We must deal rightly with the anger we all feel on a regular basis.

Have an Abel mentality, not a Cain mentality.

Step 6: Trust God.

When we are angry, we are usually responding to a wrong that needs to be corrected. In essence, we are seeking to restore the world to its nature, perfect order. We are saying, “Hey that’s not how things are supposed to be!” I believe often when we get angry, we are desiring to see an increase in goodness and a decrease in what’s wrong.

Buuuuuuuut, we get in the way.

To right a wrong done to me, I will tell you right now that my idea of righting that wrong far exceeds the wrong that was done. 

God’s justice is perfect, mine is dubious at best.

God says vengeance belongs to Him. Seriously, it is His. He created it. He owns it. 

Don’t steal what belongs to God. 

Trust God with your anger and what you are angry about and let Him lead you to a place of compassion, faith, and holiness. 

If you are angry and it results in loving God and loving people more, you got it right.

Be angry, don’t sin, think about it, shut up, obey God, trust Him.