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 there’s always a price to anger.

The book of Proverbs offers a lot of wisdom about anger. How many of these verses can you relate to?

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

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

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

How about this one?

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

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 carry anger. God didn’t mean for you to harbor it inside you. When you do, you get sick. There are plenty of people who could leave the hospital today if they weren’t carrying around guilt, resentment, or anger in their hearts.

There is always a cost to holding onto 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 using anger. But the lasting effects are devastating. In the long run, there are always three prices to pay for uncontrolled anger: more anger, apathy, and alienation.

That’s what happens 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 over and over again, pretty soon they’ll move toward alienation to protect themselves. Then the relationship is broken. Nothing destroys relationships faster than uncontrolled or manipulative anger.

You have the choice whether you’re going to stay angry with someone. Before you choose, consider the cost. Is it worth it?