The Bible is the ultimate resource for overcoming any negative emotion, especially anger. Find encouragement in scripture as you explore and resolve your angry feelings and resentment.
About a week ago, I received an email from a reader. She saw my post on overcoming disappointment, and she asked if I could help her. She is suffering in an unbearably unjust situation, and she is angry and resentful at the person causing it.
I can't share her whole story, but the details are unimportant. Your anger and resentment are as real and honest and justified as hers are. They're understandable.
And she's looking for answers and instructions, just like you are.
I prayed about this woman and her family, and I prayed for you. I prayed that God would give me the words to help both of you.
My therapist says that anger is always masking a more vulnerable emotion. I think it's helpful to look at that more vulnerable emotion and to deal with that, but you can come back to that later. For now, let's just talk about the emotions you're feeling.
12 Bible Verses & 5 Steps to Overcoming Anger and Resentment
Concrete steps make sense to me. Give me a numbered list, and I'm a happy camper. So I created a numbered list for you.
Following the steps isn't as easy as 1-2-3. The steps are where the real work lies. I am praying that you are challenged by these steps, and that you find a way to get through them all.
- Control your temper. (Let's start right away with the hard stuff!)
When people mistreat us and there's nothing we can do about it, we get mad. It isn't fair. Parents see it in their young children who are constantly on the lookout to make sure everything is fair.
The gut reaction to get upset in the face of unfairness never really goes away. God's Word says that we are to control our tempers, even in the face of unfairness.
Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. -Proverbs 19:11
Earn respect. What if the respect of men isn't what you're after?
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. -James 1:19-20
The righteousness God desires. Ouch. We may be able to brush off the respect of men, but the righteousness of God doesn't go away so easily.
Do to others as you would like them to do to you. -Luke 6:31
When we overlook wrongs, we treat others the way we want to be treated. But what if the wrong is something really big? What if we can't just get over the strife?
We still have choices. If the wrong is something monumental - abuse, neglect, criminal - then DO SOMETHING. Don't just get angry, but take action. Take your indignation and enlist the help of someone who can stop it.
The reader who wrote to me has endured her situation for five months. Certainly, she has been slow to anger. But now, she is furious.
What next?
2. Don't let your feelings control you. God recognizes that sometimes, we do get angry. Often, we need to in order to remedy a situation or to spur us on to action.
Don't sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. -Psalm 4:4
He is saying to think about your situation, and see if it merits your fury.
Are you saying something like, "YES! It does! I have a right to be mad. Is that wrong?"
Being upset isn't a sin, but being controlled by your feelings is.
And don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. -Ephesians 4:26-27
So you're there. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry. Find a way to work it out, pray through it, move past it before you give the devil an in-road to your psyche.
Need a pick-me-up? Go do something kind for someone. Volunteer your time. Do good, forgetting about the person who's made you angry for a while.
Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper - it only leads to harm. -Psalm 37:8
All scriptures are God-breathed, right? Every word is true. So what of this? Stop being angry?! How do you just stop?
3. You pray. Pray for yourself. Pray for the person who is making you have big feelings. Pray for the situation. Pray that your heart will be softened and you'll forgive.
People can't change people. Only God can change people.
Right now, YOU need to be changed, and the person who's hurt you needs to be changed. Give yourself permission to just focus on you for now. Ask the Holy Spirit of God to change you and get rid of your anger despite the rotten situation you're in.
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. -Colossians 3:8, 12-13
You are holy and beloved, my friend. You are, and you deserve better than what these feelings are doing to you.
4. Forgive. I said these steps weren't going to be easy. Pray that you can forgive the person who's hurt you. Pray it every day, every hour, every minute if you have to. (What if it's too hard? Here are more Bible verses to help you with forgiveness.)
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. -Ephesians 4:31-32
It's the Golden Rule again. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Treat the person who's hurt you with the same tenderhearted kindness that you treat your kids with.
I heard once that holding unforgiveness in your heart is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. Unforgiveness is toxic to your soul. It affects every part of your life, and it manifests in sickness, in tension, and in anger.
Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. -Luke 6:37
We are required to forgive as the Father has forgiven us, to refrain from holding a grudge, to let go. It is not optional - and it does not come easily.
5. Love. Forgiveness is one thing, but loving is another thing entirely. Loving your enemy - the very person who's hurt you - is also required by scripture.
Not suggested, required.
The very thought makes me feel sick for you.
You don't want to act in a loving way towards the person who's hurt you. Not at all.
That's where prayer comes in again. Pray that you'll have compassion and kindness for that person. (And keep praying it until it happens.)
Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. -Luke 6:35
This passage goes on to say that even sinners are kind to those who love them, but it takes something special to be kind to an enemy.
You see, we don't get to have vengeance. It's not ours; it's God's alone. We are called to love God and love one another, the end.
Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.
For the Scriptures say,
"I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,"
says the Lord.Instead, If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. -Romans 12:17-21
You see, Jesus didn't just die for you, my righteous friend. He died for the person who's hurt you, too. He loves both of you the same. It doesn't seem fair (there's a parable about that), but it is so.
Jesus died for both of you because you're both sinners.
Different stories, different sins, same black marks.
For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. -1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
Save these Bible verses on anger and resentment in a convenient black and white printable below. You can work on memorizing and meditating on them, one at a time.
If you need help with a system for memorizing verses, check out this post on our family's memorization habit.
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