been lifted out of harm’s way, but he remained unwilling to leave.
Years ago I remember reading about “holdout Harry” in the newspaper. I also remember seeing the televised interviews featuring his overconfident bravado: “I’m gonna stay right here…I’ve stuck it out 54 years and I can stick it out another 54!” 3
On May 18, 1980, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake sent a blistering ash cloud up in the air—a blast clocked at 300 miles per hour. The powerful eruption triggered an avalanche of devastating, fiery debris—the largest ever recorded to that time. 4 That fateful day, 57 people lost their lives—including Harry, who was buried deep beneath a massive flow of ash and lava.
Evacuate Before the Volcano Erupts
Anger, in and of itself, isn’t a sin—nor does it necessarily have to lead to sin.
Like live volcanoes, hottempered people steam and stew below the surface. When the inner pressure builds to the boiling point, their molten rage explodes—burning and scarring those around them. They vent their volcanic wrath and cause widespread devastation.
As I’ve thought about the volcanic people in my life, I’ve wished I had heeded this clear, direct warning from the Bible: “Do not make friends with a hottempered man, do not associate with one easily angered. ” 5 Unequivocally, God’s Word instructs us to leave the presence of hottempered people. If we don’t, we—just like Harry—will be burned…and possibly buried! Harry died because he ignored the warning. Thus, he died needlessly.
The volcanic eruption not only took the life of Harry, it also forever changed Mount St. Helens. It laid waste to itself! The warning bears repeating: Explosive anger should not be ignored, overlooked, or minimized.
Of course, those who have this kind of explosive temper need to know that their volatility cannot help but damage and sometimes destroy their most meaningful relationships. Their anger bowls are more like basins, with every name and every painful event etched in molten red.
The people I call fire eaters—those who swallow their anger—can’t keep their anger hidden. Eventually it will flare up in harmful ways. But, people with the opposite problem are what I call flamethrowers—those whose anger flares openly, those who too easily torch and scorch others. Rather than smother their emotions within, they spew their emotions outwardly onto others.
As I’ve said before, anger, in and of itself, isn’t a sin—nor does it necessarily have to lead to sin. But clearly, anger can be the precursor to sin. Uncontrolled anger is always wrong and all too often results in offensive words, wrong behavior, even criminal acts.
Flamethrowing anger takes many forms: put-downs and name-calling, profanity and intimidation, property damage and vandalism, personal assaults and murder.
Let’s not get the wrong impression, however. Explosive anger isn’t necessarily characterized by the screamer shouting insults at strangers, or the mother cruelly mistreating her child for a minor wrongdoing, or the mean neighbor creating noise just to be a nuisance.
Those the Bible describes as hottempered can also cause damage in more discreet ways. They might display their anger through constant criticism, behind-the-scenes bullying, intense intimidation, or surreptitious sabotage. Yet regardless of the way a volatile temper is displayed, the Bible doesn’t mince words about hotheaded flamethrowers. Proverbs 14:17 says, “A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.” 6
The Four Types of Human Flamethrowers
The first step in dealing with flamethrowers is to recognize the four different types and how their anger is exhibited. Let’s take a look at exploders , seethers , blamers , and abusers.
1. Exploders: Those prone to sudden eruptive anger
A familiar example of explosive anger and its resulting repercussions is found in Genesis 4:1-16—the biblical account of brothers Cain and Abel. Each
Years ago I remember reading about “holdout Harry” in the newspaper. I also remember seeing the televised interviews featuring his overconfident bravado: “I’m gonna stay right here…I’ve stuck it out 54 years and I can stick it out another 54!” 3
On May 18, 1980, a 5.0 magnitude earthquake sent a blistering ash cloud up in the air—a blast clocked at 300 miles per hour. The powerful eruption triggered an avalanche of devastating, fiery debris—the largest ever recorded to that time. 4 That fateful day, 57 people lost their lives—including Harry, who was buried deep beneath a massive flow of ash and lava.
Evacuate Before the Volcano Erupts
Anger, in and of itself, isn’t a sin—nor does it necessarily have to lead to sin.
Like live volcanoes, hottempered people steam and stew below the surface. When the inner pressure builds to the boiling point, their molten rage explodes—burning and scarring those around them. They vent their volcanic wrath and cause widespread devastation.
As I’ve thought about the volcanic people in my life, I’ve wished I had heeded this clear, direct warning from the Bible: “Do not make friends with a hottempered man, do not associate with one easily angered. ” 5 Unequivocally, God’s Word instructs us to leave the presence of hottempered people. If we don’t, we—just like Harry—will be burned…and possibly buried! Harry died because he ignored the warning. Thus, he died needlessly.
The volcanic eruption not only took the life of Harry, it also forever changed Mount St. Helens. It laid waste to itself! The warning bears repeating: Explosive anger should not be ignored, overlooked, or minimized.
Of course, those who have this kind of explosive temper need to know that their volatility cannot help but damage and sometimes destroy their most meaningful relationships. Their anger bowls are more like basins, with every name and every painful event etched in molten red.
The people I call fire eaters—those who swallow their anger—can’t keep their anger hidden. Eventually it will flare up in harmful ways. But, people with the opposite problem are what I call flamethrowers—those whose anger flares openly, those who too easily torch and scorch others. Rather than smother their emotions within, they spew their emotions outwardly onto others.
As I’ve said before, anger, in and of itself, isn’t a sin—nor does it necessarily have to lead to sin. But clearly, anger can be the precursor to sin. Uncontrolled anger is always wrong and all too often results in offensive words, wrong behavior, even criminal acts.
Flamethrowing anger takes many forms: put-downs and name-calling, profanity and intimidation, property damage and vandalism, personal assaults and murder.
Let’s not get the wrong impression, however. Explosive anger isn’t necessarily characterized by the screamer shouting insults at strangers, or the mother cruelly mistreating her child for a minor wrongdoing, or the mean neighbor creating noise just to be a nuisance.
Those the Bible describes as hottempered can also cause damage in more discreet ways. They might display their anger through constant criticism, behind-the-scenes bullying, intense intimidation, or surreptitious sabotage. Yet regardless of the way a volatile temper is displayed, the Bible doesn’t mince words about hotheaded flamethrowers. Proverbs 14:17 says, “A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated.” 6
The Four Types of Human Flamethrowers
The first step in dealing with flamethrowers is to recognize the four different types and how their anger is exhibited. Let’s take a look at exploders , seethers , blamers , and abusers.
1. Exploders: Those prone to sudden eruptive anger
A familiar example of explosive anger and its resulting repercussions is found in Genesis 4:1-16—the biblical account of brothers Cain and Abel. Each
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