One Way Ticket to Bitterness

Do you find yourself overreacting to little irritations? Your spouse forgot the milk. Your child tracked mud on the new carpet, and you explode. There is a good chance that you are suffering from stored anger. You've held all of these hurts inside and now your stored anger is showing up in your behavior. In my book Anger, I talk about getting rid of this.

When is the last time someone deeply hurt you? How did you respond? Jesus gave clear instructions: When we are mistreated, we are to lovingly confront the person who hurt us and seek reconciliation. 

One of the common problems I encounter in the counseling office is people who are eaten up with anger. In an effort to be good Christians, they've held their anger inside. Anger held inside leads to bitterness, hatred, and often depression.

If you have internalized your anger for a long time, it's time to release it to God. Tell God how much you have been hurt. Then, release the person and your anger to God. When you release people to God, you put them in good hands.

Do you have a long standing offense with someone? Don't sit around the rest of your life letting anger control your life. Go to the person and tell them that you would like to make things right. 

If they are open, they will confess their wrong and you can forgive. If they are not, then ask God if there is anything else you need to do. Give that person and your hurt and anger to God. Pray for them, but don't allow their behavior to control your life. God wants you to be free to follow Him.

There is hope for all of us who live with anger. It begins with taking a look at your history. It's never too late to seek reconciliation. Jesus knows all about being mistreated. You can trust Him with your anger.

Continue the conversation: Share your questions, thoughts insights, or comments by joining the conversation on Facebook at facebook.com/5lovelanguages