Resentment rarely shows up loud. Most of the time it creeps in quietly. It starts with a small offense, a comment you replay later, a moment you wish you’d handled differently, or a wound you never really dealt with. Over time, it settles in and makes itself at home.
Resentment is anger that’s been given a place to live. You don’t explode. You simmer. You keep moving forward on the outside while rehearsing conversations and justifications on the inside. And the longer it stays, the more it starts to leak into places you didn’t intend it to reach.
It shows up in your marriage, in how patient you are with your kids, in the tone you carry at work, and even in your prayer life. It slowly hardens your heart and narrows your perspective. Scripture is direct about where that road leads. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior” (Ephesians 4:31 NLT).
Resentment has a way of keeping you stuck in the past. It makes you replay moments God is trying to heal and convinces you that holding onto the hurt somehow protects you. It doesn’t. It only keeps you tied to the thing that wounded you in the first place.
Jesus never minimizes what was done to you. But He does call you to release it. “Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:13 NLT). Forgiveness isn’t saying it was okay. It’s deciding you’re done letting it control you.
Here’s the hard truth. If resentment stays long enough, it will turn you into someone you don’t want to be. A colder man. A more guarded man. A man who reacts instead of responds. And that’s not the man God is shaping you into.
If you’re willing, ask yourself today who you’re still carrying in your heart. Name it. Bring it to God. Say it out loud if you need to. “Lord, I release what I’ve been holding.”
You don’t have to forget what happened. But you do have to let it go.
Conquer what’s killing you.
Rise to what matters.