Growing up, my parents always used to quote the Bible and tell me and my sister not to “let the sun go down on our anger” (Ephesians 4:26). I distinctly remember late nights as my parents would mediate between my sister and I as we worked through an argument (which inevitably would happen before bed) so we would not go to bed angry. However, this past week, I learned the danger of allowing yourself to be angry with others for too long.
To be honest, I’m embarrassed to relate this story because I was acting completely childish, but I decided to share the important lesson I learned. The day started with something trivial, but I decided to read into the situation as my husband had not considered my needs (he really had, but had made some assumptions – but that’s a topic for another post). If I had not held on to this, the imagined offense would have been forgiven and long forgotten…but I held onto it.
Since I had continued to perceive his “offense” as him forgetting my needs, It meant that I continued to regard him as forgetting my needs throughout the day. Something as simple as not “reading my mind” became him neglecting me-and I let him know I was upset about it. (Once again, I am completely embarrassed by my actions). The day ended with my husband completely hurt and confused and me in tears as it finally dawned on me how cruel I was being.
It’s so easy to feel justified in your anger or pain. You feel as if you ”deserve” to be able to hold onto the pain for whatever reason. Sadly, this will only compound not just your pain, but the pain of those around you. Satan works on our hearts when they are most vulnerable – when we are angry or upset. These attacks are most vicious when it comes to marriage and family. Sister Lucia, one of the three Portuguese children to whom Mary appeared to at Fatima, has said that the final battle that Satan will rage will be against the family and marriage. At all costs, we should prevent Satan from having a foothold in our homes and in our families.
So how do we prevent our anger from becoming an occasion of sin? We stop our anger in its tracks. The best way to do this is through prayer. Prayer, even something as simple as “Jesus, take my anger and replace it with love” can help us let go of the anger and pain. Sometimes, we might need a little more time. My husband will often go off into our bedroom for about 15 minutes when he is upset to take a moment to cool down. The key is to not hold onto the anger and pain and to replace it with love.
Mommy's Prayer 