Proverbs 22:24Do not make friends with an angry person, and do not associate with a wrathful person,Proverbs Daily is a reader-supported publication. All posts are free, but all donations help spread the message. When you see the word "upgrade," you're simply invited to help me make the sacred positively contagious...thank you in advance for becoming a free or paid subscriber.A kid walked into the doctor’s office with a bad cough. The doctor listened to his chest, shook his head, and said, “Your lungs are fine — but I have to ask: who have you been around?”The kid looked puzzled. “What do you mean? I’m the one who’s sick.”The doctor smiled and said, “Sure, that’s right. But illness spreads. You caught this from somebody.”The truth was simple: some things are caught because they’re just contagious.Anger is ContagiousPaul the Apostle said: “Bad company corrupts good manners” (1 Cor. 15:33). Proverbs sharpens it:Don’t make friends with angry people.See, anger is contagious. Post Covid I decided to purposely gravitate toward that word ‘contagion’ because I realized that it would be a reality that we had to continually be aware of in our zeitgeist. That’s why I say that I want to make the Sacred Positively Contagious. But here’s the flip we all know: wrath spreads too. Walk with it, befriend it, make it a useful association, and you’ll catch it.Walking With the Wrong CrowdWhen you walk with someone ruled by rage, their habits rub off.Paul, the same one that talked about bad company corrupting good manners also said that he “longed to be with the Romans so he could “impart a spiritual gift” (Rom. 1:11). But angry people impart something too — not wisdom, not faith, but wrath.The Underbelly of Our MomentRight now, we all can feel the tension of anger rising, especially here in America.The murder of Charlie Kirk. The canceling of Jimmy Kemal. The unsolicited invasion of U.S. troops into our own cities. And that soft vulnerable underbelly that no one’s talking about enough? Our FRAGILE Economic turmoil — the kind that feels like being strapped into a rollercoaster, listening to those last clicks before the drop.We’re tense. We’re anxious. We’re angry. And that’s exactly where wrath can spread the fastest.Anger as Turbo FuelAnger isn’t always wrong — it’s proof your heart is alive. If your car overheats, you want the dashboard to warn you. Anger is that warning light.But it’s also like a turbo fuel. Push the button, and things happen fast and furious. Keep pushing it, though, and you’ll burn your engine out. That’s why Proverbs says don’t befriend it. Don’t let wrath be your default. You have to figure out how to negotiate difficulty in more ways than just being ‘mad all the time’.So Here Are Three Steps to Navigating Anger* Acknowledge it. Don’t deny it. Say, “I’m angry,” and let that warning light do its job.* Accept it, but don’t cling. Think Jedi-style or radical acceptance — see it, name it, and let it pass like weather.* Lay it down daily. Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath (Eph. 4:26). At day’s end, slot your burdens down, reconnect with love, and let rest restore you. Tomorrow’s sunrise often shows the same problem with less heat.Bottom Line:Anger spreads fast. But only love heals what anger infects.PrayerI’m angry, Lord—don’t let me stay here. Guide me.Today’s ChallengeDon’t carry anger alone. Share one frustration with a trusted friend today — not to fuel the fire, but to process it together. A most powerful thing you can do is Cry. That may sound raw, but it works! I recommend Richard Rohr’s new book The Tears of Things as powerful reference material.About the AuthorFred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch📱Experience Proverbs Daily by Subscribing!Ready to receive daily wisdom directly on your phone?Go to proverbsdaily.org for the app or just click that Subscribe button right now!Be Wise and Be Well...peace.Thanks for reading Proverbs Daily! This post is public so feel free to share it.
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