It’s that quiet bitterness that builds up when we feel unappreciated, overlooked, or wronged. Sometimes it shows up in marriage, sometimes in parenting, sometimes in friendships or even in the workplace.

Here’s the hard truth: resentment always promises to punish the other person, but really, it punishes us. The other person may not even know we’re resentful—but we carry the tight shoulders, the ruminating thoughts, the loss of joy.

Today we’re going to walk through a journaling practice to help you move from resentment to release. I’ll show you how to:

1. Name the resentment honestly.
2. Explore what you wish the other person would do.
3. Take ownership of what’s yours—and release what isn’t.

And through it all, we’ll anchor back into the truth of who you are in Christ, because only His love is big enough to free us from bitterness.

Step One: Name the Resentment

Start by writing it exactly as it is—raw, unfiltered, un-pretty.

👉 Prompts:

• “I feel resentful because…”
• “The story I’m telling myself about this person is…”
• “The thoughts that play on repeat are…”

Example: “I feel resentful because I do so much around the house and no one notices. The story I’m telling myself is that my efforts don’t matter.”

Step Two: Explore What You Wish They Would Do

Resentment is often a signal of an unmet desire. We don’t just resent someone in a vacuum—we resent because we long for something we’re not getting.

👉 Prompts:

• “What I wish they would do is…”
• “What I long to hear or receive from them is…”
• “If they could meet me in this, it would look like…”

Example: “I wish my spouse would say thank you. I wish my kids would notice my work. I long for appreciation and partnership.”

Naming this doesn’t mean the other person will suddenly change. But it gives you clarity about your own heart.

Step Three: Take Ownership + Release

This is where we shift. Ask: What is mine here, and what is not mine?

• Mine: My feelings, my expectations, my choices about how I show up.
• Not mine: Controlling the other person’s response, making them behave how I want.

👉 Prompts:

• “The part of this I can take ownership for is…”
• “The part I need to release is…”
• “Lord, today I release ___ into Your hands.”

Example: “I can take ownership of my desire for appreciation by communicating it clearly instead of stewing. I can also anchor myself in God’s delight in me. I release the expectation that my family will always meet my needs perfectly.”

Scripture anchor: Colossians 3:13 (NIV): “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

Music by Aleksey Chistilin from Pixabay