Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

As this Bible passage clearly tells us, we are to refrain from anger and turn away from wrath because it leads to evil. This is directly told to us, and God is warning us through this passage that anger and wrath will only lead us to evil. Evil ultimately goes hand in hand with sin; therefore, it is impossible to obey God and follow Him if we are allowing anger and wrath to fill our hearts. If we allow anger and wrath to fill our hearts, we will be consumed with evil. I was once in a relationship in which the main emotion that was shown was anger. Instead of talking things out or expressing other emotions, anger was normally the only emotion on display. While there is a time and a place for godly anger, there is never a time and a place for anger that comes from sin. In many households across the world, they experience the same thing. Anger, fights, and yelling are all that is expressed when it comes to emotions. The Bible, and especially Psalm 37:8, warns us against turning to anger and wrath, even if it is what we are accustomed to. Rather than turning to anger and wrath, we need to choose to love others, forgive freely, and strive toward peace. Anger can be a hard emotion to deal with, yet much of our anger can be misplaced depression or frustration. Since anger is a more socially accepted emotion, especially for us men, it can be hard to turn away from anger and be willing to be vulnerable with other emotions, which are the emotions we are actually experiencing. Frustration, sadness, and despair can manifest in hate, anger, and depression. It is our responsibility as Christians to recognize our true emotions and bring them before God. While emotions are not sinful in and of themselves, they can cause us to commit sins. We need to be careful with our emotions and express them correctly. If we feel anger and wrath rising in our hearts, we need to turn to God in prayer. We need to tell Him about our anger, why we are angry, and why we are feeling wrathful. God listens to all of our prayers, and He cares about all of our emotions, even the emotions that are uncomfortable, such as anger. God knows we are humans, and He knows we will become angry at times, yet it is what we do with this anger that matters. We can feed into the anger and wrath, or we can take the higher road and choose to obey God rather than our sinful flesh. Take the example of Cain and Abel. Cain became angry, wrathful, and hateful toward his brother because God liked Abel’s offering better than his own. Out of his anger, wrath, and hate, he murdered his brother. This is exactly in line with what Psalm 37:8 tells us…anger and wrath will only result in evil. Cain committed evil when he allowed these feelings to drown his heart and chose to kill his own brother. As we can see, nothing good comes from anger and wrath. Think about the last time you were angry and wrathful. Most likely, you were filled with inexpressible pain and frustration. It could have been a mistake you made, or it could be something someone did to you that made you angry. No matter the reason you are feeling anger or wrathful, give it over to God. This can sound cliche or even unhelpful, yet giving your emotions over to God is what ultimately will help you. From my own personal experience, you cannot eradicate anger and wrath on your own…you need God’s help. I have had many times where I felt extremely angry and wrathful. I have admittedly made many mistakes and hurt others in the process. An unkind word, words you’ll regret, or breaking a heart can all be the results of anger and wrath. While one might say this isn’t “as bad” as murdering someone, it can really hurt someone, and once the hurt has been inflicted, it can be impossible to heal. I have learned the hard way why it is important to refrain from anger and turn away from wrath because, as the psalmist says, it only leads to evil. This can sound intimidating, yet you are not alone in your struggle. God is with you, and He has given you His Holy Spirit to help you in these difficulties. The Holy Spirit will convict, guide, and help us. Through His help, He can help us overcome sinful behaviors and turn to God instead of turning to wrath. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you in your actions and specifically ask Him to help you avoid anger and wrath. The temptation to be angry, wrathful, and do evil can be overwhelming at times and in certain circumstances, but it is never right. Part of following God means doing the hard thing and turning the other cheek. God can help you on this journey and lead you to a place where you can replace anger, wrath, and evil with kindness, forgiveness, and love.