Rage Is All the Rage
Rage has been all the rage for the last couple of decades. It is the currency of influencers, politicians, and ordinary citizens. And for the former, it can be very lucrative and that is likely why they traffic in rage. It can make them wealthy in both money and power. Sadly, there are many professed Christians assisting them by amplifying them through reposting their rage and, in turn, making it their own.
Here’s the problem with Christians throwing in their lot with the ragers: Rage has no thought of love, mercy, or compassion. Rage leads us not to pause and contemplate, but rather to react impulsively, letting our out-of-control emotions to be our guide. Many a murderer would never have been such but for their rage in the moment. I remember a sad story of a man so frustrated by a man who cut him off in traffic that he followed him into a parking lot, pulled a gun and killed the other driver. The murderer had no previous criminal record.
When we read the Scriptures, what we find time and time again is that our Heavenly Father is rich in mercy and calls us to do the same (Psalm 86:15, Ephesians 2:4-5, Micah 6:8). Some will justify their rage by pointing to Jesus who overturned the tables inside the Temple walls. It should be noted that He did that once and that He is God; we, by contrast, are not.
As we think about rage, let us consider the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Rage in fact is only connected in the Scriptures with the “acts of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19-21). As followers of Jesus, we should not have any partnership with rage. It is antithetical to godliness and righteousness. And it quickly forgets that all men and women are creatures of God, created by Him.
As you may well know by now, my focus is helping the Church get serious about discipleship. Disciples are to reflect Jesus in our lives and to pass that on to others. Yet, I know parents, grandparents, and church leaders who are intentionally or unintentionally (I choose to believe for most the latter) emulating and passing along this rage to their children, grandchildren, and other believers through conversations, social media posts, and sermons. As did the Israelites just out of Egypt passed down their rebellion and idolatry to their children and grandchildren, so we are doing the same—passing along and encouraging an act of the flesh rather than modeling the fruit of the Spirit.
Among followers of Jesus, rage must be cast down to the depths of hell where it belongs. It has no place in our lives.
It doesn’t matter how you justify it, the teachings of the Scriptures and the nature of our Lord leave no room for rage having a foothold in our lives. So whether you are prone to rage over President Trump, Republicans, Democrats, Anthony Fauci, vaccinations, election security, communists and socialists, immigration, or a myriad of other things, my plea to you is to stop, repent, and ask the Lord for a filling of His Holy Spirit that will produce the fruit our world, including your children and grandchildren, so desperately needs.
Until next time. . .
© Jim Musser 2026
