You know those conversations you have in your head? The ones where you finally tell that person exactly what you think of them? Where you come up with the perfect comeback three days too late? Where you imagine them getting what they deserve?

Welcome to Step 2: Wrath.

Yesterday we talked about bitterness—that seed of hurt that gets planted when someone wrongs us. But bitterness doesn't stay put, it turns into wrath, and the Greek word literally means "to burn." It's a slow burn that starts changing how we think.

This is where it gets dangerous. Because now we're not just hurt—we're plotting. We're rehearsing. We're having those one-way conversations where we always win, where we always get the last word, where justice finally gets served.

Some of us call them "anger fantasies"—those daydreams where we imagine getting even.
Maybe it's your boss finally getting fired. Maybe it's your ex realizing what they lost. Maybe it's that difficult family member finally facing consequences for their behavior.

Here's the thing about wrath—it feels productive. It feels like we're doing something about the problem. But we're not. We're just feeding the fire. We're rehearsing revenge instead of pursuing healing.

God has wrath too, but there's a huge difference. God's wrath is righteous—it's His perfect response to sin and injustice. Our wrath? It's usually about getting even, feeling better about ourselves, or making someone else feel as bad as they made us feel.

The slow burn of wrath changes us. It makes us rehearse conversations that will never happen. It makes us imagine scenarios that probably never will. And while we're burning inside, the person who hurt us is probably living their life, completely unaware of the fire they started in our hearts.

Pay attention to your thought life today. When you catch yourself having one of those "one-way conversations" or entertaining revenge fantasies, stop and acknowledge what's happening. Instead of feeding the fire, try praying for that person—even if it feels impossible.