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The Cost of Anger
By Rick Warren

“The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left.” (Proverbs 11:29a LB)

When you remember the cost of uncontrolled anger, you will be more motivated to manage it. You’re less likely to get angry if you realize that there’s always a price to anger.

How many of the verses below can you relate to?

“Hot tempers cause arguments” (Proverbs 15:18a GN).

“Anger causes mistakes” (Proverbs 14:29b LB).

“A hot-tempered man starts fights and gets into all kinds of trouble” (Proverbs 29:22).

How about this one? “The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left” (Proverbs 11:29a LB).

You always lose when you lose your temper. You may lose your reputation, the respect of others, your job, a sale, or the love of your family. You can even lose your health. Your body was not designed to handle anger. God didn’t mean for you to carry it around inside of you. When you do, you get sick. There are plenty of people who could leave the hospital today if they weren’t carrying around in their hearts guilt, resentment, or anger.

There is always a cost to anger.

We often use anger to get people to do something. Why? Because it works — in the short term. Parents, in particular, learn pretty quickly that you can scare kids into doing something by getting angry with them. But the long-term effects are devastating. In the long run, there are always three price tags for anger: more anger, apathy, and alienation.

That’s what’s happened with a lot of our kids, particularly teenagers. They think, “I can’t please my parents; they’re always angry,” so they become apathetic.

And if you keep getting angry, pretty soon, they’ll move toward alienation to protect themselves. Then, the relationship is broken.

Nothing destroys relationships faster than anger. You have the choice of whether you’re going to get angry with someone. Before you choose, consider the cost. Is it worth it?

Talk It Over

What do you think people hope to gain by getting angry?

How has anger affected your relationships? What has it cost you?

How has anger affected your health? How is resentment or unresolved anger taking a toll on you mentally, emotionally, and physically?