Anger Management

"Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun set on your anger." - Ephesians 4:26

My cousin and her husband are newly weds and when I went to visit their home, I saw a cute sign above their bed that reads "Always kiss me goodnight," and I thought it was so perfect. I'll be getting married soon and I hear from many married friends that the worse thing is going to bed angry with your spouse. The tension is thick. If they're sleeping right next to you, you have to deal with it, unlike the days when each would leave the other and go back to their own homes to cool off. But since husbands and wives are so close, it's usually more of a priority to kiss and make up. How then do we act with people we don't live with? On these occasions, it's a lot easier to develop a grudge. When Paul writes in Ephesians to never let the sun set on your anger, it's because issues left untreated end up causing a lot of damage. There is nothing wrong with being angry, but if we let the day end and never resolve our differences, these things build up until larger confrontations arise later on. Usually we hold on to it, thinking we can brush it off, but we carry it with us and then blow up at the person over something insignificant just because we never dealt with the root of the problem. There are also occasions when we let so much time pass without speaking, that we don't even remember what the problem was in the first place, but neither person will let go of their pride and break the ice. These are really cancers on our souls.

We all know people that can really use us getting angry at them, but if we are followers of Christ, we use the anger to correct, instead of as a poison that separates and destroys the love of God between people. If you want to blow up at someone, try to do it respectfully, but make sure you don't let the anger carry on past the end of the day. With Jesus, learn to resolve it.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, teach me how to control my anger. I know all emotions come from God and if used properly, I can use it to correct others and cause positive changes. Never let me abuse this emotion or hold on to until it causes damage to relationships. Please let all anger end in peace. In Your Name we pray, amen.