“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.  Ephesians 4:26

So often we equate anger with sin. And as we look at this verse, we might assume that Paul is telling us to avoid sin. But anger itself is not sin. Righteous anger, in fact, has a place in the Christian life.  The key is not allowing your anger to cross the line. Keep your anger on the right side of the fence by not allowing yourself to gossip about the situation you’re angry about. Stop talking about it to everyone except the person you are angry with. Also make sure you don’t obsess about it in your mind. It’s so easy for anger to take root in our hearts and fester, causing more damage than the initial act that made us angry in the first place. 

Follow the advice from the Scripture and do not let the sun go down on your anger. Speak with the person or people involved and rationally talk it out. Even if you can’t find common ground, it is better to amicably agree to disagree, than to let the evil one use your anger to damage a relationship that could be used by God.

Dear God, I know that there will be times in life when I am talking with someone I completely disagree with. During those times, help me to remain calm. And if I do become angry, help me to not hold on to that anger but instead resolve it as quickly as possible, so that I can continue to bring honor to you in all that I do. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen.