Most Christians will acknowledge that they are in a constant struggle with anger. Some will claim that anger is one of the human emotions given to us by God and so there is nothing wrong with expressing it.
However, the emotion of anger is similar to the the feeling of physical pain that we experience. While pain is not a good thing, it serves a good purpose—it alerts us that something is wrong with one of the organs in our body. If we had no pain we would have no idea that there was something wrong. Most people try to manage the pain by using a painkiller without realizing that there is an underlying cause that needs to be treated to truly overcome the pain.
Likewise, anger shows us that there is something wrong in our spiritual state. But too often we try to control the anger by suppressing it or using some technique to manage it. We may be able to maintain a calm exterior but we have not taken care of the root cause of the anger. In most cases the root of anger is Pride—I have not been treated as I expected, or I perceive that my reputation has been damaged, or I think I deserve better, or I want to have my own way.
In Romans 6:11-12 we are told to reckon ourselves dead unto sin and not obey the lusts that arise from it. In Colossians 3:8-11 we are instructed to put off anger among other things recognizing that we have put on the new man which is in the image of Jesus Christ. This means that when anger rises, we are to not act according to character of the old man but according to image of Jesus Christ which is now our new identity. So when you perceive that your reputation is damaged, focus on the One Who made Himself of no reputation.
When you are reviled, focus on the One Who did not revile in return. When you feel like judging someone, set your eyes on the One Who committed Himself to Him that judges righteously. Let your anger be an indication that you need to return to the Shepherd and Bishop of your soul (1Peter 2:21-25).
