When I forgive someone, I discover that my anger is never truly over. In other words, I can wake up weeks later and feel the same level of anger. This is starting to get depressing. How can I let go of my anger so that it doesn’t come back?
We all forgive imperfectly because we are imperfect human beings. After experiencing severe hurt, we can have our anger lessen, but occasionally it flares up again when we are reminded of the offending party and the unfair event. Please understand that this is normal. I want to encourage you by telling you that people tell me that when they practice forgiveness, the anger returns, but it comes back milder than before. When you revisit forgiveness toward someone you have already forgiven, you might notice that the process goes more quickly and thoroughly than it did the last time around as you continue to practice forgiveness toward new people and new injustices. Welcome to the group of flawed individuals, then. When the anger flares up again, go back to forgiveness. By doing this, you’ll take charge of your anger instead of letting it control you.
