Richard Paul Evans writes in his novel The Noel Diary:  “Holding on to anger is like swallowing poison and hoping someone else will die.”  Wow! I generally think of anger as something that hurts other people. I’ve seen it constantly in abusive situations. Sometimes anger is expressed with physical violence. Sometimes it is done verbally to demean another. I think we’ve all seen far too much of this.

What strikes me, though, in Evans’s remark is that it is about holding on to anger not about feeling anger or expressing anger. Holding on to anger is that process of recalling the cause of our anger and fretting over it long after the incident that produced the anger is over. That’s taking poison because it harms the self.

One of the best pieces of advice for pastoral counseling was this: “If you’re angry, ask yourself what you want that you aren’t getting.” Frequently I discover that what I want is for other people to do what I want done. Anger is often seated in the desire to control others. Who am I kidding? I can barely control myself, let alone anyone else. When I stop making my happiness depend on what others do, I find I can let go of much anger and resentment.

Our Lord Jesus Christ has already given us more than we could ever want. What’s the sense of becoming angry when we can’t make others give us what is insignificant compared to what God has given us? Don’t hold on to anger. Let it go.

Read Ephesians 4:31-32 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne