Be angry, but do not sin; let your anger subside before the sun goes down. Do not give the devil any foothold. -- Ephesians 4:26-27 (BDS)**

Many of us grew up hearing sentences like:

“Don’t cry.”

“Don’t get angry.”

“Be strong, don’t show anything.”

Over time, this can create the impression that simply feeling something is already a weakness or a fault.

The passage in Ephesians offers something more subtle:
it recognizes the possibility of anger,
while drawing attention to what may follow the emotion:
how long we let it stay,
what space we give it,
the actions we take under its influence.

It can be read as an invitation to look more closely at our relationship to emotions,
without judgment, but with curiosity.

1. When emotion signals something

Emotions may not be there to condemn us, but to inform us:

• Sadness may signal a loss, a wound, a need for comfort.

• Anger may point to a crossed boundary, a sense of injustice or disrespect.

• Fear may express a need for safety, clarity or stability.

• Joy may reveal alignment, gratitude, a moment of inner rightness.

We could look at them like warning lights on a dashboard:
they do not explain everything,
but they indicate that something is happening inside.

Simply acknowledging:
“Right now, I feel angry / sad / anxious / joyful…”
is sometimes already a step toward inner truth,
without needing to “perform” spirituality.

2. When emotion takes the wheel

The text in Ephesians quietly highlights two points:

• the intensity of the emotion: “do not sin,”

• and its duration: “let your anger subside before the sun goes down.”

One could read this as saying that emotion has its place,
but perhaps it is not meant to drive the vehicle for too long.

When anger, fear or jealousy stay in charge:

• we say things we would never choose to say in calm,

• we interpret situations through a distorted lens,

• a simple disagreement becomes a lasting fracture.

“Do not give the devil any foothold”
can then be understood as a warning against those inner zones where a prolonged emotion gives room to bitterness, resentment, discouragement.

The image of the steering wheel is helpful:
emotion is in the vehicle,
but we can choose not to hand it the keys.

3. Three gestures for moving through an emotion

There is no magic recipe, but a few simple gestures may help us move through an emotion rather than be carried away by it.

a) Breathing

When emotion rises, the breath shortens, the body tightens.

Taking time to breathe can already change the quality of the moment:

• inhale deeply through the nose,

• hold the breath for a moment,

• exhale slowly through the mouth.

Repeating this cycle a few times can create enough inner space to avoid reacting automatically.

b) Stepping back

We can place a question between emotion and reaction:

“What exactly am I feeling?”

“Is this intensity about the present moment,
or does it touch something older in me?”

“If I act like this now, will I be at peace with it tomorrow?”

Asking these questions does not make the emotion disappear,
but may reduce its power to make us tip over.

c) Clarity

Clarity does not always arrive immediately.
Sometimes it needs a delay: letting the storm pass, postponing a reply, waiting for the body to calm.

Later, we can ask:

“What would be right, beyond what I feel?”

“What do I really need: to set a boundary, to ask forgiveness, to step back for a while, to clarify a misunderstanding?”

This way of approaching emotion may transform it into useful information,
instead of an unchecked engine.

4. A gentle practice for today

For today, we could try something very simple:

Notice the dominant emotion

Take a moment to note:

“These last few days, what comes up most often in me is… (anger, sadness, fatigue, anxiety, joy…).”

Welcome it in writing

In a notebook:

“When I feel this, it is often after…”
“What this might be saying about me is…”

Insert a breath or delay

When a situation strongly activates that emotion:

• breathe deeply three times,

• if possible, do not answer immediately,

• postpone the decision or response to a calmer moment.

Do not end the day on it

Before going to bed, ask:

“Where is this emotion tonight?
Is there something I can set down: a word, a prayer, a decision for tomorrow?”

Not as an obligation, but as a field of observation.

5. In conclusion

Ephesians 4:26-27 seems to acknowledge something simple:
emotion is part of life , but the way it settles in us is not neutral.

And perhaps the discipline of emotions is less about “controlling” ourselves than:

• listening more closely to what is happening inside,

• giving more space between what we feel and what we do,

• leaving less room for reactions that wound, in us and around us.

This passage does not impose a model, it opens a path.

Each of us can discern, in our own story, where this nuance resonates… and which small footholds we wish, or do not wish, to loosen. 🌅