First and foremost, I will snap on you in a heartbeat if you mess with my kids. I mean absolutely lose my mind without a moments hesitation. The whole concept of pausing to evaluate the whole situation and thinking before I act completely goes out the window.
When I started reading scripture regarding anger, this is what I found first.
Honestly, I didn’t look for any other scriptures, that was all I really needed. It doesn’t get anymore simple than that. Slow down folks. Take time to listen, think before speaking, and keep your attitude in check. Easy peasy right? If only it was…
The world really is harder than it should be. When someone cuts us off in traffic, we want to yell and throw our hands in the air. When someone hurts someone close to us, we want to retaliate. When someone accuses us of something, we want to accuse back. The possibilities of what can happen that potentially makes us angry is endless.
God doesn’t want us to have that worldly anger that makes us bitter. He wants us instead to turn to him, trust and allow him to take the reigns. He desires us to refrain from acting out and be a servant to him.
Perhaps next time someone cuts you off in traffic, take a moment and pray for them. They could be trying to get to an emergency situation. Perhaps next time someone hurts someone close to you, pause and pray over the circumstances. Perhaps next time someone accuses you of something, hold your tongue and pray for God to lead you in how to respond.
We don’t know what hardships are going on in others lives around us, and they don’t know what’s going on in ours. Even a tiny bit of kindness and prayers can make a world of difference.
As for me? Well, I’m going to keep working on telling myself, “Jen, be slow to anger, you got this,” over and over. Strive to be the servant that God would have me be, and keep my cool. In the meantime, please, just don’t mess with my kids.