Let Go Of Anger

31 Jan

“The longer I live, the more I observe that carrying around anger is the most debilitating to the person who bears it.”  ~ Katharine Graham

I am sixty-three years old.  That is not really young; however, it is not really old either.  In my sixty-three plus years, I have never — please emphasize never — seen anyone benefit from harboring anger.  The more that a person holds on to anger, the more I can guarantee that the person will become damaged.

When a person holds anger in her or her heart, when a person nurses that anger, the anger will begin to gnaw at the person’s soul and psyche.  Before they even know it, people who harbor anger begin to become ill.  Their blood pressure will rise, sometimes considerably.  They put themselves in danger of having strokes or heart attacks.  Anger will cloud their judgment.  They will not know whom to trust.  Anger will muddy their emotions.  They will find themselves flying off the handle at little things.  Anger is not something that anyone should want to retain.

Some people think that if they hold onto anger it will give them inner strength.  They could not be more wrong.  Anger can only chip away at a person and make that person less day by day.  Most of us know this.  We have experienced it many times in our lives.  Yet, when the tables are turned and we find ourselves angry, we often hold on to the anger rather than letting it go as soon as possible.

Friends, life it too short.  We do not know how many days any of us are going to have.  Why let our lives become bitter?  Why not do all that we can to keep ourselves emotionally and spiritually healthy.  For the love of God and self, let go of all anger and let God’s peace fill you up this day.

FAITH ACTION:  Look deep within and examine if you are harboring any anger.  If so, realizing that it is only hurting you and not helping you, do your best to let it go.