Anger- a bible study

I am led to do a bible study generally to speak out against anger for it very often leads to all manner of other ills, including unforgiveness, hatred, slander, even assault and murder if left unchecked. There are times where anger can be righteous, and it often anger is a totally understandable human reaction when one is hurt and/or offended by someone often  by their often careless and thoughtless words and/or actions, which can hurt or grieve someone, sometimes quite severly. So we need to try to not provoke anger in others by our own careless, thoughtless and unloving actions and words.

Here is the scripture that illustrates why anger is bad

(James 1:19)  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;

(James 1:20)  for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

I am also going to add this verse, too

(James 1:26)  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

Not bridling one’s tongue and saying careless and hurting words is one of the worst ways to hurt others and stir up anger but I will return to that topic

Now I am going to show some scriptural examples to show how destructive anger can be to people. The first example is Cain’s murder of Abel, which was sparked by Cain’s anger which he could not control over God’s refusal of Cain’s offering

(Genesis 4:3)  In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,

(Genesis 4:4)  and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,

(Genesis 4:5)  but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

(Genesis 4:6)  The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?

(Genesis 4:7)  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it."

(Genesis 4:8)  Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

Esau hated Jacob so much that Esau wanted to kill Jacob for deceptively taking his brother’s blessing so Jacob was forced to flee

(Genesis 27:41)  Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

(Genesis 27:42)  But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.

(Genesis 27:43)  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran

(Genesis 27:44)  and stay with him a while, until your brother's fury turns away--

(Genesis 27:45)  until your brother's anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?"

In this example Saul had a very jealous and envious anger towards David and David’s success and would end up trying to kill him for quite a while afterwards

(1 Samuel 18:7)  And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, "Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands."

(1 Samuel 18:8)  And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?"

(1 Samuel 18:9)  And Saul eyed David from that day on.

(1 Samuel 18:10)  The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand.

(1 Samuel 18:11)  And Saul hurled the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David evaded him twice.

(1 Samuel 18:12)  Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul.

One of the most tragic cases of bad anger here in Matthew 2 resulted in the deaths of many young children at Herod’s hands as Herod wanted Jesus destroyed then and also the wise men not returning to Herod after visiting Jesus further infuriated him

(Mathew 2:12)  And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

(Mathew 2:13)  Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him."

(Mathew 2:14)  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt

(Mathew 2:15)  and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."

(Mathew 2:16)  Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

(Mathew 2:17)  Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

(Mathew 2:18)  "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."

Now I am giving some examples where the anger is provoked by things and is more righteous. First I am using Moses and the Manna, because Moses was angry because some of the Israelites disobeyed Him and God on this

(Exodus 16:15)  When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

(Exodus 16:16)  This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.

(Exodus 16:17)  And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less.

(Exodus 16:18)  But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.

(Exodus 16:19)  And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over till the morning."

(Exodus 16:20)  But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.

We too must be very careful when we do not listen and disobey people because it often can provoke anger (and grief) in them. Often times the people who want us to do or not do something know better what is the best for us, and we can upset them by our not listening. I admit I am not perfect on this myself, and nobody is.

The next example both God and then Moses were angry with the Israelites because of a golden calf idol that they made and worshipped. Moses was so angry that he smashed the commandments that God made then destroyed the idol and made the other Israelites drink the powder. Only Moses’ intercession stopped God for completely destroying the Israelite people over this terrible transgression.

(Exodus 32:1)  When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, "Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him."

(Exodus 32:2)  So Aaron said to them, "Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."

(Exodus 32:3)  So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron.

(Exodus 32:4)  And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"

(Exodus 32:5)  When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."

(Exodus 32:6)  And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

(Exodus 32:7)  And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.

(Exodus 32:8)  They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"

(Exodus 32:9)  And the LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people.

(Exodus 32:10)  Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them, in order that I may make a great nation of you."

(Exodus 32:11)  But Moses implored the LORD his God and said, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

(Exodus 32:12)  Why should the Egyptians say, 'With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.

(Exodus 32:13)  Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.'"

(Exodus 32:14)  And the LORD relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.

(Exodus 32:15)  Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written.

(Exodus 32:16)  The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.

(Exodus 32:17)  When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."

(Exodus 32:18)  But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear."

(Exodus 32:19)  And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

(Exodus 32:20)  He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it.

(Exodus 32:21)  And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?"

(Exodus 32:22)  And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.

(Exodus 32:23)  For they said to me, 'Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

(Exodus 32:24)  So I said to them, 'Let any who have gold take it off.' So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf."

(Exodus 32:25)  And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies),

(Exodus 32:26)  then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, "Who is on the LORD's side? Come to me." And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.

(Exodus 32:27)  And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.'"

(Exodus 32:28)  And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell.

(Exodus 32:29)  And Moses said, "Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day."

(Exodus 32:30)  The next day Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."

(Exodus 32:31)  So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.

(Exodus 32:32)  But now, if you will forgive their sin--but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written."

(Exodus 32:33)  But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.

(Exodus 32:34)  But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them."

(Exodus 32:35)  Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.

Thankfully God is slow to anger and compassionate or we all would be destroyed for none does right. However we do need to keep repenting of our own miscues daily.

Here are some scriptures to back this claim up

(Psalm 103:8)  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

(Psalm 103:9)  He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.

(Psalm 145:8)  The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

There are three of instances where Jesus Himself was very angry. The first is what I am presuming to be two separate episodes of Jesus driving out the temple vendors and money changers for desecrating the temple by selling things and changing money. One of these accounts is in John 2 at the very start of Jesus ministry

(John 2:13)  The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

(John 2:14)  In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there.

(John 2:15)  And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.

(John 2:16)  And he told those who sold the pigeons, "Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade."

(John 2:17)  His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will consume me."

(John 2:18)  So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?"

(John 2:19)  Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

(John 2:20)  The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?"

(John 2:21)  But he was speaking about the temple of his body.

(John 2:22)  When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

(John 2:23)  Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.

The other time where Jesus cleansed the temple of vendors and such is when Jesus came to Jerusalem for the last time, just before He was to be crucified to pay for mankind’s sins

(Matthew 21:12)  And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

(Matthew 21:13)  He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."

(Matthew 21:14)  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

(Matthew 21:15)  But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant,

(Matthew 21:16)  and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"

Then a few verses later in the same chapter in fact He would be angry with a fig tree and curse the fig tree with leaves but had not produced any fruit at all on it, and Jesus was hungry

(Matthew 21:18)  In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry.

(Matthew 21:19)  And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.

(Matthew 21:20)  When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?"

(Matthew 21:21)  And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen.

(Matthew 21:22)  And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

It does not say anger directly but one can easily imply it for one often does not curse something without some form of anger.

Here is an example of where Jesus was angry and grieved with the Pharisees and scribes their own hardness of their hearts

(Mark 3:1)  Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.

(Mark 3:2)  And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.

(Mark 3:3)  And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here."

(Mark 3:4)  And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.

(Mark 3:5)  And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.

(Mark 3:6)  The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

Jesus knew how hypocritical these people could be. He often spoke against them too to warn others of their wrong ways so that we do not do them.

A future prophesied anger by God  is on all those who take the mark of the beast, listing the terrible consequences for taking the mark of the beast because doing so, taking the mark, is the ultimate rejection of God and marries the one taking to Satan and the beast system

(Revelation 14:9)  And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand,

(Revelation 14:10)  he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

(Revelation 14:11)  And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."

Now here is a collection of various encouragements and warnings for helping people deal with any issues of anger- here are some verses from the Psalms

(Psalm 4:4)  Be angry, and do not sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah

(Psalm 37:8)  Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

(Psalm 37:9)  For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

Here some proverbs with various good advice

(Proverbs 14:29)  Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.

(Proverbs 15:1)  A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

(Proverbs 15:18)  A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.

(Proverbs 16:32)  Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

(Proverbs 19:11)  Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

(Proverbs 22:24)  Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man,

(Proverbs 22:25)  lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.

(Proverbs 25:23)  The north wind brings forth rain, and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

(Proverbs 29:22)  A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

(Proverbs 30:32)  If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.

(Proverbs 30:33)  For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

And some verses in Ecclesiastes too

(Ecclesiastes 5:6)  Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

(Ecclesiastes 5:7)  For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

(Ecclesiastes 7:9)  Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools.

And even a good verse from Job

(Job 36:18)  Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

Ephesians 4 has some wonderful words of advice of not getting wrongly angry but also to not provoke other people to wrath, either

(Eph 4:20)  But that is not the way you learned Christ!--

(Ephesians 4:21)  assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus,

(Ephesians 4:22)  to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,

(Ephesians 4:23)  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

(Ephesians 4:24)  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

(Ephesians 4:25)  Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

(Ephesians 4:26)  Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,

(Ephesians 4:27)  and give no opportunity to the devil.

(Ephesians 4:28)  Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

(Ephesians 4:29)  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

(Ephesians 4:30)  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

(Ephesians 4:31)  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

(Ephesians 4:32)  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Here is the word in Galatians 5 to not give into the desires of the flesh of which anger is one of them

(Galatians 5:13)  For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

(Galatians 5:14)  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

(Galatians 5:15)  But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

(Galatians 5:16)  But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

(Galatians 5:17)  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

(Galatians 5:18)  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

(Galatians 5:19)  Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

(Galatians 5:20)  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

(Galatians 5:21)  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(Galatians 5:22)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

(Galatians 5:23)  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

(Galatians 5:24)  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

(Galatians 5:25)  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

(Galatians 5:26)  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Colossians chapter 3 has a similar message warning to put off wrongful anger and all other wrongdoing for that matter

(Colossians 3:1)  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

(Colossians 3:2)  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

(Colossians 3:3)  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

(Colossians 3:4)  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

(Colossians 3:5)  Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

(Colossians 3:6)  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.

(Colossians 3:7)  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.

(Colossians 3:8)  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.

(Colossians 3:9)  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices

(Colossians 3:10)  and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

(Colossians 3:11)  Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

(Colossians 3:12)  Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

(Colossians 3:13)  bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

(Colossians 3:14)  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

(Colossians 3:15)  And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

(Colossians 3:16)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

(Colossians 3:17)  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I am now putting in these verses in James 3 into the studies because our tongue is one of the ways we often provoke one another to anger, by saying careless and unloving things, as I stated at the start of this bible study

(James 3:2)  For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

(James 3:3)  If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.

(James 3:4)  Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.

(James 3:5)  So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

(James 3:6)  And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

(James 3:7)  For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind,

(James 3:8)  but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

(James 3:9)  With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

(James 3:10)  From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.

(James 3:11)  Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

(James 3:12)  Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

(James 3:13)  Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.

What if we are offended by other people for any reason at all? We are not allowed as scripture states above to let anger linger in us for long, but we are supposed to, as Jesus states to rebuke the person who offended us howsoever he/she did it in love and to forgive the offender of their transgression(s) too if he/she repents  of it (which is the wise thing to do if we offend- apologize and repent of the misdeed)

(Luke 17:1)  And he said to his disciples, "Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!

(Luke 17:2)  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin.

(Luke 17:3)  Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,

(Luke 17:4)  and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."

And the final scripture is from Matthew 18 with similar messages but driving home the importance of forgiving the offending brother, and also praying together for help against things for Jesus is there when two or three are gathered in His name

(Matthew 18:15)  "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

(Matthew 18:16)  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

(Matthew 18:17)  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

(Matthew 18:18)  Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

(Matthew 18:19)  Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

(Matthew 18:20)  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

(Matthew 18:21)  Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

(Matthew 18:22)  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

(Matthew 18:23)  "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.

(Matthew 18:24)  When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

(Matthew 18:25)  And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

(Matthew 18:26)  So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'

(Matthew 18:27)  And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.

(Matthew 18:28)  But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, 'Pay what you owe.'

(Matthew 18:29)  So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'

(Matthew 18:30)  He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.

(Matthew 18:31)  When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place.

(Matthew 18:32)  Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

(Matthew 18:33)  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'

(Matthew 18:34)  And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.

(Matthew 18:35)  So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

If you have some form of long term anger for any reason I am now including a couple of prayers to help you invite God to help deal with them. Please feel free to say either or both with me.

Spirit of anger, hear the Word of the Lord my God come out of me. I raise the standard of the blood of Jesus against you, in the name of Jesus.  Lord God, I surrender all of my emotions unto Your control. Put anger far away from me, in the name of Jesus.  My Lord and my God, give me the grace to be long-suffering and slow to anger. Give me the forgiving spirit to be able to tolerate others, in the name of Jesus. My Lord and my God, change my behavior to embrace any and all tenderhearted feelings, kindness, a gentle mind, and patience. Give me the power and patience to endure all that comes my way with a different temperament, in the name of Jesus.  My Lord and my God, give me the grace to expect nothing from people and depend on You as the Great Provider. Continue to direct
and revive me, in the name of Jesus.  My Lord and my God give me the eye to see people as You see them; I pray I will not label anyone in a way You have not labeled them. You will label me as the child of the Most High God, in the name of
Jesus. I pray all these things in His Name Amen

This second prayer is an excellent prayer of repentance dealing with wrong anger

Lord Jesus I truly and deeply regret my sin of anger, I (we) come to You in humility and lowliness of mind. I (we) acknowledge my (our) sin of anger and I (we) repent, I (we) turn from that way to walk in Your chosen paths of Righteousness. I (we) ask You to forgive me(us) and cleanse me(us) of all unrighteousness, pride, self-centeredness, hate, rage, bitterness, resentment, strife, contention, taking offense, giving offense, misplaced hostility, indifference and all forms of anger in my(our) life(lives). Lord Jesus, Your Word says that Your anointing destroys all yokes of bondage (Isaiah 10:27) so I (we) ask You now to cause Your anointing to break and destroy any yokes and strongholds of pride, self-centeredness, hate, rage, bitterness, resentment, strife, contention, taking offense, giving offense, misplaced hostility, indifference, and all forms of anger in my (our) life(lives) along with all of their works, roots, fruits, tentacles and links that are in my (our) life (lives), the lives of anyone that I (we) have prayed for today. I (we) ask You Lord to force out all spirits of pride, self-centeredness, hate, rage, bitterness, resentment, strife, contention, taking offense, giving offense, misplaced hostility, indifference, control, and anger from me(us), and any replacements of evil spirits trying to come back from the Abyss, bound till they are judged and thrown into the Lake of Fire. Lord Jesus fill me in all these areas that were set free with Your Love and Your Holy Spirit, according to John 14:14, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Jesus loves you so, so much that He died on the cross to pay for all your  sins, every one of them. He did this because He wants a relationship with you and with me, as well. I am now including a prayer to help with this, so you can turn from all your sins and find this relationship with Jesus and the Father God as well, for there is no other relationship that can at all compare with the relationship with God. Please pray this prayer with me

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours