Releasing Anger

“Don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.Ephesians 4:26-27

Do you find yourself overreacting to little irritations? Your spouse forgot the milk, and you grimace or make a sarcastic comment. Your child tracked mud on the new carpet, and you explode. If so, there is a good chance that you are suffering from stored anger—anger that has been living inside of you for years.

Perhaps your parents hurt you with harsh words or severe punishment. Maybe your peers made fun of you as a teenager or your boss treated you unfairly. If you’ve held all of these hurts inside, now your stored anger may be showing up in your behavior. The Bible wisely tells us not to let the day end when we’re still angry. In other words, we need to deal with our anger right away rather than letting it build up. In my book Anger, I talk about getting rid of stored anger. It all begins by releasing your anger to God. Tell him about your emotions, and ask him to help you handle the situations that caused them. He can help you release the hurts from long ago and forgive those who wounded you.

Experiencing anger isn’t wrong. But as Ephesians 4 tells us, letting anger control us is wrong—and can be very damaging to a marriage.

Lord, sometimes I experience so much anger over such little things. I know I’m hurting my spouse, and I don’t want to do that anymore. Please forgive me. I release this anger to you. Help me to figure out why I have it and then let it go.