Why do I get so angry all the time?

You remember when you were younger; big sister took too long in the bathroom and you got angry and kicked the door and yelled. And now that you are older, when someone says something that offends you, your temper flares, you get angry, you lose control, and loud hateful words come pouring out. Two hours later you regret what you said and wondered why do I get so angry all the time?

The root problem with anger is selfishness. Someone says something that offends you or embarrasses you in front of your friends and you are worried about how you might look in front of other people. Your ego took a hit. You’re afraid that people might not respect you anymore. Bottom line… you are worried about you.

When someone says something or does something that makes you angry, stop, stay in control, ask questions about the statement, listen, try to understand the comment. If they are wrong, calmly explain why they are wrong; if they are right, thank them for their honest insights.

Remember big sister taking too long in the bathroom? If you were honest with yourself, the problem was that you were hungry and wanted to eat breakfast. The situation was more your impatience and your stomach than your sister in the bathroom. Think honestly about why you get angry.

When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine (Goliath), the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly.

1 Samuel 18:6-8a

Did you notice in those verses that King Saul was not thankful about how God used David but Saul was concerned about Saul. How do you stop being angry all the time?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

Added note: This article is not talking about righteous anger where there is a sin committed and you are angry; example, news story showing protesters throwing rocks through store windows. Big sister taking 20 minutes in the bathroom is not a sin, although at the time you probably thought it was.