READ: LUKE 23:32-34; EPHESIANS 4:26; PHILIPPIANS 1:6

Anger flowed through me as I pinned my friend against a tree, her feet dangling two inches above the ground. My older brother, a football player, could barely pull me off Cathy. I don’t remember what I was angry about, but I do remember how anger controlled me.

I read the Bible and prayed daily, and I loved Jesus, but anger was a part of me as well. I’m not talking about righteous anger, the kind Jesus demonstrated when He drove the money changers away from the temple (John 2:14-17). No, I mean the kind of anger described in James 1:20: “Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”

Two years after I pinned Cathy against that tree, God started pursuing me about my anger. Finally I asked myself, “Why are you so angry?” I truly didn’t know. Later, God made it clear to me that my anger came from harboring unforgiveness in my heart. As I lay face-down before God, tears streaming down my face, I turned the whole sordid mess over to my Lord.

That wasn’t the end of my struggle with anger, but it was the beginning of the end. I would give my hurt over to the Lord, and then I would take it back. I did this again and again. But, the quicker I would give it back to the Lord, the easier it became to leave it all at His feet. As He slowly taught me to let go of my unforgiveness, I felt anger lose its grip on me.

If anyone has the right to harbor unforgiveness, it’s our heavenly Father. After all, we were responsible for nailing His perfect Son to a cross. Yet God extends mercy and grace to us without measure. In fact, it was through Jesus’s death and resurrection that God made the way for our sins to be forgiven. So, as Christians, we have no right to cling to unforgiveness. Instead we can come to Jesus with all our anger and trust Him to do His work in us. • Bonnie Haveman

• Can you think of a time you felt overwhelmed by anger? What was that like?

• Anger is not a sin in itself, but sometimes we give in to temptation more easily when we’re angry (Ephesians 4:26). If you struggle to control your anger, who is a trusted adult you could talk to about it, such as a pastor, parent, counselor, or youth leader?

• Can you think of a time you were angry and didn’t know why? Consider asking God to show you what is (or was) making you angry. You can bring Him any hurts, confess any sins that come to mind, rest in His sure forgiveness, and ask Him to guide you in how to move forward (1 John 1:9).

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)