Dealing With Anger

(The following was taken from the Life Recovery Bible):

"Many of us have a hard time dealing with anger. Some of us have a history of rage, so we try to stifle our feelings. Others of us stuff down the feelings of anger, pretending they don't exist, because we were never allowed to express them in the past. If some of our problems stem from not knowing how to express anger properly, we may try to avoid dealing with it altogether. We may try to 'put it off' and hope it goes away.

The apostle Paul said, 'Don't sin by letting anger gain control over you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil' (Ephesians 4:26-27). One key is to have daily time limits for handling our anger---time to find ways to express the feelings and then let them go.

Dealing with anger promptly is important because when it is left to fester, it becomes bitterness. Bitterness is anger that has been buried and given time to grow. The Bible warns us: 'Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slanders as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you' (Ephesians 4: 31-32)."