Question 1

What aggravates God?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 7:11God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.Isaiah 10:1-3What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws. They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans. What will you do when I punish you, when I send disaster upon you from a distant land? To whom will you turn for help? Where will your treasures be safe?Malachi 3:5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.Romans 1:18God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.God is aggravated with those who persist in evil because their actions violate his truth, justice, and love.Jeremiah 32:32-33“The sins of Israel and Judah—the sins of the people of Jerusalem, the kings, the officials, the priests, and the prophets—have stirred up my anger. My people have turned their backs on me and have refused to return.”Zechariah 7:11-12Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.Hebrews 3:10So I was angry with them, and I said, “Their hearts always turn away from me. They refuse to do what I tell them.”God is aggravated with those who pursue a life of sin, even to the point of self-destruction, refusing to repent.Numbers 11:1“Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them.”Deuteronomy 1:34“When the Lord heard your complaining, he became very angry.”God is aggravated with ungrateful, complaining people.Mark 9:42“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.”Luke 17:1-2One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin.”God is aggravated by those who lead others into sin.Matthew 21:12-13Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”Matthew 23:13, 15“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. . . . For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are!”Matthew 25:41-45“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’”Mark 3:3-5Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” Then he turned to his critics and asked, “Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?” But they wouldn’t answer him. He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!Mark 7:6Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”Luke 11:39, 42Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! . . . What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.”God is aggravated with hypocrisy at many levels. Hypocrisy means making a profession of belief in something but then living the opposite of what we claim. Hypocrisy has no interest in loving others, only in appearing righteous. Hypocrisy is a sin that spreads to others, creating a culture of pride and dishonesty. Perhaps worst of all, hypocrisy gives people a distaste for the community of believers and hinders their path to God. Who would want to become a Christian if Christians are like that? No wonder God hates hypocrisy—it is one of Satan’s most devious means for turning people away from God.

Question 2

How does God respond when aggravated?

Accepted Answer

Romans 2:8-9He [God] will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil.Jude 1:15He [the Lord] will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.God, the just Judge of the world, will judge and punish all those who love evil, who have only lived for themselves at the expense of others, and who have rebelled against and defied God’s righteous rule. Evil keeps people out of harmony with God and out of a place in God’s eternal home.Nehemiah 9:17“They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them.”Psalm 106:43-46Again and again he rescued them, but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin. Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries. He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his unfailing love. He even caused their captors to treat them with kindness.Joel 2:13Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish.Despite his aggravation with our sins, God waits eagerly and patiently for us to return to him. He longs to respond to us in love and forgiveness—showing his mercy and kindness to us even in his times of discipline.

Question 3

How can we avoid aggravating others?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 5:11“God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.”John 15:18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”2 Timothy 3:12Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.1 Peter 3:17Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!We won’t be able to avoid aggravating everyone because we will anger some simply because we stand for Christ and the truth. If we try to make peace with those kinds of people by hiding what we believe or compromising Christ’s message, we deny him.1 Kings 12:13-14, 16Rehoboam spoke harshly to the people, for he rejected the advice of the older counselors and followed the counsel of his younger advisers. He told the people, “My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!” . . . When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, “Down with the dynasty of David! We have no interest in the son of Jesse. Back to your homes, O Israel! Look out for your own house, O David!”Ephesians 6:4Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.Colossians 3:21Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.We can avoid aggravating others by treating them kindly and with respect. When God entrusts us to care for someone and hold authority over them, whether as a parent or leader, we should always keep their best interests at heart and treat them with respect. Rather than flouting our authority, we should use it to guide others gently but firmly. The Golden Rule can be our guide: “Do to others as you would like others to do to you” (Matthew 7:12).Proverbs 25:20Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone’s coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound.Ignoring someone’s pain or responding to their pain inappropriately can aggravate them. We can avoid this by being sensitive to what they are experiencing and taking it seriously.Numbers 11:10Moses heard all the families standing in the doorways of their tents whining, and the Lord became extremely angry. Moses was also very aggravated.We can avoid aggravating others by not complaining about our situation or how we have been treated, even if our complaints are valid. Whining about our problems with an ungrateful, complaining attitude aggravates others and will not likely inspire any helpful change.Proverbs 15:1A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.We can avoid aggravating others by voicing our opinions and ideas softly. Snapping harsh words at others out of anger aggravates them.Proverbs 19:13A foolish child is a calamity to a father; a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.Proverbs 25:23As surely as a north wind brings rain, so a gossiping tongue causes anger!Proverbs 27:15-16A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands.Proverbs 29:8Mockers can get a whole town agitated, but the wise will calm anger.We can avoid aggravating others by watching what we say. Misguided words may aggravate others. Our words should not be sarcastic, mocking, nagging, gossiping, or quarrelsome. Words should be filled with honey rather than venom, to sweeten a conversation rather than poison it.

Question 4

How should I respond to being aggravated?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 14:30A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.1 Corinthians 13:4-5Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.1 Peter 2:23He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.When aggravated by others’ words or actions, we shouldn’t retaliate but respond in love. Aggravation chases itself around a circle. Striking back begins a cycle in which each person feels the need to strike back harder. In many cases, our only option is to step away and give the situation over to God.Psalm 4:4Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.Proverbs 15:1A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.We can seem to ignore others’ angry words, while, in reality, we are preparing our own angry responses. But the Bible tells us to slow down and listen to others’ frustrations first. After we understand their perspective, we can take time to think through how to respond without sinning. This will protect us from saying things we may later regret.1 Timothy 6:4Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.2 Timothy 2:23-24Don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.Titus 3:9Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.We should have a hunger for truth but not be obsessed with “winning” our arguments. Winning an insignificant argument at the price of damaging a significant relationship is a terrible trade-off. We should pray for discernment in knowing when arguments should be pursued.Proverbs 14:29People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.Ecclesiastes 7:9Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.Ephesians 4:26-27And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.James 1:19-20Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.We should avoid any reaction based on anger. Some anger is like a forest fire, quickly destroying what took a long time to grow. Other anger smolders, never showing an open flame, but slowly chokes our relationships with its fumes. Neither kind of anger pleases God.Luke 6:27-28“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.”Romans 12:20-21Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.Evil is only multiplied through a cycle of revenge. We should choose to end the cycle by responding to hatred with patience and kindness. This will lead to peace. And we should pray that those who aggravate us would come to understand God’s love more fully.

Aggravate