Be Angry ... (Psalm 4:4a)

Today's scripture: Psalm 4:4a: "Be angry, and do not sin."

You've probably heard today's verse many, many times. "Be angry, and do not sin." Yet, this seems to contradict other verses that tell us not to be angry:

He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly.
(Proverbs 14:29)
A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook a transgression.
(Proverbs 19:11)
Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, For anger resides in the bosom of fools.
(Ecclesiastes 7:9)

Anger is included in the list of "deeds of the flesh" in Galatians 5:19-21.

So, how can we be angry and still not sin? I think it has to do with two things: habit and heart.

If one is perpetually, constantly, habitually angry, then he is sinning. If he is taking his anger out on those around him, then he is sinning.

However, if one is angry because of injustice or when someone else victimizes the weak, then I believe he is not sinning—as long as that anger doesn't manifest itself in something destructive.

We can indeed be angry and not sin ... with the right heart.