Bible Questions and Answers

Can you give me verses to deal with my anger issues?

All who believe the Gospel and are baptised into Jesus Christ are called upon to obey his commandments:

John 14:15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

We are commanded to love others as we love themselves.

Matthew 22:39 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

But this is just the beginning.

John 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

The love that Jesus commands is a self-sacrificial love. Jesus laid down his life for us.

1 John 3:16  By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

It has little to do with emotion.

He commands us to love even our enemies – the ones that we naturally find unlovable – because this is what God does.

Matthew 5:44-48 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

The apostle Paul defines the kind of love required of us:

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails…

Longsuffering is an attribute of God, which we are called upon to emulate

Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

The qualities essential to the character we are to develop by obedience to the commandments of Jesus Christ are described as the ‘fruit of the Spirit’. We are to endeavor to think in the way that Christ thinks:

Galatians 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Our fellow humans often have failings which are really annoying, but God wants us to love them in the same way that he loves us with all our shortcomings.

1 John 4:20  If someone says, "I love God," and hates (does not love) his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Dealing with those who really annoy us is really a test of our faith and a proving ground to determine whether we really want to obey God or not.

One of the reasons that baptised believers are commanded to meet regularly is so that they might encourage one another.

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25  not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

As far as praying is concerned we have the model of the ‘Lord’s Prayer’:

Matthew 6:6  "But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7  "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8  "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10  Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11  Give us this day our daily bread. 12  And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13  And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14  "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15  "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

In addition we are to pray for one another.

James 5:16 Confess your faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much.

And that we should persevere:

Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart

Romans 12:12  rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer

Ephesians 6:18  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Philippians 4:6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God

Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

As far as understanding the Bible, may I suggest that you begin by reading:

Your Share in God’s Promises (please click on the title)

I hope you find this helpful.

God bless,
Glenn