“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” James 1:19-20, NLT.

My wife has told me not to allow certain foods, like grits or oatmeal, to sit in the pot after they’ve been made. If you let them sit there, it hardens in the pot. The pot then becomes harder to clean then right after it had been used.

Yes, as men, we can get angry, but we don’t have to be an angry man. It is wise to quickly handle our anger. Handle the root of it, whatever it is. It is wise to quickly handle what we’re upset about when it happens, then to let time go by, and it hardens our hearts toward someone. In time, it will spill over to effect your walk with God. The Lord says don’t even allow the sun to go down on our wrath (see Ephesians 4:26), trusting He still has an expected end for us. We can decide to give place to the devil, or we can humble ourselves and give place to the Holy Spirit unctioning us to handle it.

Expressing hurt can be challenging, but don’t live secretly angry or offended from something you’re now bitter from. Jesus set you free. Free to be happy. Free to be pliable to love.

Prayer: Father, help me not to let anger live in me. I desire for any seeds of offense to be plucked up from my heart. I give you place in my marriage and in my relationships. I will love your law of forgiveness and imitate you. Teach me how to set things back right again quickly, just like you don’t stay angry with me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Study: Psalm 119:165, Proverbs 18:19, Ephesians 4:32