Sometimes we know we are angry, and at other times we are unwilling to recognize and own the anger in our hearts. We may have developed a fear of anger during childhood because we observed someone acting out anger inappropriately, and we do not want to behave like them. Or we could have the false belief that the emotion of anger is totally bad, so we push it down, and deceive ourselves into denying that we are angry. Anger is a normal human emotion. Yet the Bible teaches us that, when we get angry, the anger must be appropriately dealt with for us to stay physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy. Holding onto anger day after day is detrimental to our whole being and will keep us from experiencing His gift of freedom. God longs for us to be free…free to live…love…enjoy…and serve Him and one another. Unprocessed anger will gradually take us captive to a prison of resentment, bitterness, and depression. God has given us a way out of this prison, and Jesus holds the keys to set us free! He doesn’t want us to carry it…He wants to take it on Himself. If you have my book, go to reading #5 letting Go of Anger, where I have shared a personal experience about overcoming anger and depression. If you don’t have the book, go to……amazon.com then type in Pour Out Your Heart-Deborah Byrd. Reading # 5 is included in the free book preview. As we learn to acknowledge our anger, and let go, we will find the freedom needed to live in this challenging world.
“When angry, do not sin; do not ever let your wrath [your exasperation, your fury, your indignation] last until the sun goes down” (Ephesians 4:26).