No More Out of Control

Patience is better than pride. Do no be quickly provoked in your spirit. For anger resides in the lap of fools. Eccl. 7:8-9.

I relate so much with today’s verse. Pride is a breeding ground for fury.

We clutch to our laps the things that are precious to us (and rightly so): a grandchild, a cherished gift from a member of our family or a friend, a hug, an embrace. These are all things to which we hold tight.

However, sometimes ANGER is the valuable to which we hold tight.

Yet, Solomon, the writer of Ecclesiastes, the wise man of his time, encourages us that letting patience win is a better choice.

I’ve attempted to teach my five-year-old grandson what patience is. He assures me that he already knows. “It’s WAITING, Mimi!”

From the mouth of babes, his words ring true.

When we’re face to face with a person who always tends to do the opposite of what we say or want or someone whose annoying interruptions make it hard to get things done or someone who micromanages our lives, that is our opportunity to exhibit patience.

When an outside force attempts to ruin the day with nitpicking or contentious comments, the dynamics of the inner workings of our hearts can over-tax an already burdened mind.

Psalm 37:8 says, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.” The context of this verse surrounds good instructions for those who fret over evil-doers who seem to be succeeding in their plans or getting away with evil.

Yet, the words are so powerful in our every day lives. Notice the verbs: refrain, turn, do not. We have a choice in self-control to refrain from or restrain our words we long to spew out just because they pop into our minds or just because the other person speaks out of turn and stirs our anger or just because we didn’t get enough sleep last night. We can even turn from wrath (theirs and ours) and set ourselves to not fret about it. Refusing to fret requires self-control of our thoughts. It’s called taking responsibility for what we say and do and, even, think!

The meaning behind the word ‘fret’ is: to burn or be kindled with anger like hot wax. It reminds me of people who tell on themselves, “I just had a melt down!” …a way of saying they were completely out of control. They said and did things they highly regretted.

I’ve been there and done that. ‘Embarrassed’ and ‘ashamed’ don’t even come close to describing how I felt afterwards. Oh, how I wish I could take those times all back when I’ve messed up.

Do we need God to help us at times when life doesn’t go as planned? However, we must remain in communion with the Holy Spirit in order to benefit from His fruit (Galatians 5:22). We must grow in the Lord and become steadfastly intentional with our words and actions (especially on crazy days that tempt us to rage).

Nurturing a habit of quick temper begins inside us, in our spirits. So does nurturing peace and love. What’s inside typically spills over to those around us. SEE what is good in the situation or the people you mingle with. God is ALWAYS working, no matter what is going on. Think about what is good, and good will come out of your mouth. A quiet spirit can reign even when others lose it and tempt your temper to explode.

If I lose it when someone else loses it, it is a warning sign of what is in my spirit.

Lord, help me to be stirred by what stirs you, and let that be the extent of my anger. Teach me the unselfish act of laying down my life for others in the name of Jesus. Combat my pride (that agitates me to anger and resentment) with a quiet spirit and humility that speaks louder than wrath (and has a more positive effect and plentifully attracts others). Draw others to you through my ways of interacting. In Jesus name, Amen.