Aug. 6, 2025

The Hidden Cost of Anger

Anger might feel powerful in the moment, but what’s it really doing to you? Today’s episode unpacks the unseen damage of unresolved anger and how God offers us a better way.

Are you holding onto anger and don’t even realize it?

It might be quietly doing more damage than you think. A recent study shows that bursts of anger can trigger physical inflammation in your body, raising the risk of serious health problems like heart disease. But the effects of anger go deeper than just physical.

God’s Word has something to say about this.

In Ephesians 4:26–27, Paul writes,

“Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. (NKJV)

Anger in itself isn’t always wrong, but holding onto it opens the door to bitterness, broken relationships, and even spiritual vulnerability.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

What modern science reveals about the impact of anger on your body
Why Scripture tells us to deal with anger quickly
What unresolved anger costs us—and how to let it go
How forgiveness can heal not just your heart, but your health

Anger might feel like control, but it’s actually a chain. God invites you to lay it down—so you can walk in freedom, healing, and peace.

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WEBVTT

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Researchers at Penn State wanted to find out what anger actually does under the surface. So they ran a study giving volunteers a smartphone app that pinged them several times a day. Every time their phone buzzed, the participants were asked to log how they felt in that exact moment. Angry, irritated, calm, happy. For two weeks, people logged their emotions, capturing everything from morning traffic stress to office tension to quiet evening contentment. And then, at the end of the study, they all came in for a blood draw. We'll come back to what they discovered in just a minute.

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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, a pastor for over 40 years, and your guide for these few minutes of truth and encouragement from God's Word. Today, we're talking about something we all deal with, but don't always deal with well.

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Anger. Whether it's that slow burn or an explosion, anger can take over our relationships, our peace of mind, and even our health. But God has something better for us. Let's look at what the Bible says.

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Anger isn't always wrong.

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There's such a thing as righteous anger. Jesus displayed it when He cleared the temple.

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But most of our anger, it's usually not righteous. It's reactionary. It's self-protective. And if we're honest, it often comes from a wounded ego or maybe an unmet expectation. Paul doesn't say never be angry. He says, don't let anger control you. Don't give it space to grow roots. Why?

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Because anger is a squatter that invites in destruction. It steals our joy. It wrecks our relationships. And as we're about to see, it even messes with our health. Back to the Penn State study. When researchers looked at the blood work from the participants, they found something surprising. On days when people reported anger, even short bursts or low-level frustration, their blood showed significantly higher levels of inflammatory markers. These were the same markers doctors see when the body is fighting an infection. In other words, that argument at work, that simmering road rage, it actually triggered the immune system. It lit a chemical fire inside their bodies. Anger might feel powerful in the moment, but your body pays the price long after the moment has passed. So here's today's question. What anger have you been carrying too long?

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Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there a frustration you need to release? Ask God to help you deal with it. Not stuff it down or let it explode, but lay it down at the foot of the cross. Jesus bore our sin, including the stuff that boils inside of us. Let Him replace your resentment with His peace.

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Father, you see the anger we carry, the quick outbursts, the slow-burning frustration, the hurt that we've held on far too long. We confess it to you.

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Teach us to release it, not to bury it or feed it, but to bring it to the cross. Fill us with your peace and self-control.

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Thank you for your patience with us. Help us reflect that same patience to others. In Jesus' name, amen. Let me leave you with this. Anger grows when it stays in the dark, but healing begins when you bring it into the light. Talk to a friend.

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Pray. Let scripture reshape your response. Don't give anger more space than it deserves. Do you need help with this? Would you like me to help you pray? I'd love to partner with you in prayer for whatever you're going through right now. You can click on Send Me a Text in the show notes, or leave me a voicemail at dailydevotionsforbusylives.com forward slash voicemail. Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives.

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Remember, anger might flare quickly, but God's grace brings lasting peace. Come back next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless and have a great day.

The Hidden Cost of Anger

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