Letting Go of Our Anger

Sometimes anger can sneak up on you.
You think everything's fine
and then the smallest thing
will cause you to erupt.
But before our emotions get away from us,
we must remember that rage often comes at a great personal cost.
Dr. Charles Stanley

Anger is an extremely powerful emotion.
It can destroy lives, tear relationships apart,
and ruin a believer’s witness.

The apostle Paul understood the negative potential of resentment,
and he offered this advice on how to deal with it:

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger
and clamor and slander be put away from you,
along with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tender-hearted,
forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32

Our anger can shut down communication with others.
It can also lead to a silent and very damaging type of resentment.
The “passive-aggressive” person takes out his bitterness on others in subtle ways.
One of the most harmful consequences of uncontrolled anger is depression.
Over time, inner turmoil and unresolved conflicts
will take their toll on a person’s mental health.

We can let our anger control us and suffer the consequences.
Or we can conquer it by forgiving others
that we feel have stirred up the bitterness in us.
Try to identify the causes of anger in your life,
and give those burdens over to the Lord.
Trust that He will empower you to overcome them.

We can't move ahead - if we're trying to get even.
Frank Tyger