Good Morning, Anger
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. James 1:19-21
One of the things that people tend to tell me is that I am very calm and patient. It is exceedingly rare for me to have outbursts of any kind. To a degree, it started early on when my mom would get into a tirade of something that was not done to her liking at the beginning of the day, and for some reason, I would calmly respond to her, “Good morning, mom.” She would later tell me as an adult that it was so sweet it would immediately change her demeanor. “Good morning, Kent,” she would reply.
When I do have an outburst, more times than not, it is thought out because it is typically an issue where something has been discussed numerous times and no movement has occurred despite there being some agreement to do so. Having said that, one of the reasons my wife is such a good balance for me is when there are those rare instances where I am upset and, in an uproar, she knows the right words to keep me calm and put my mind in the right place.
Having said this, it is interesting that God places such value on our being demeanor. I have often said that God tends to speak to me in threes, and today’s verses were impressed on me such that I thought it was needed. These verses in James 1 give us some insights on this, and I have an understanding why that is the case. As representatives of Jesus Christ, it is often that our actions reflect Him. While that should always be a consideration, that is often not the case. Think of the last time you were angry about something. Not in the sense of you not hitting the lottery. More along the lines of someone really disappointing you or when you lashed out at someone as a reaction to something done. Can we honestly say to ourselves the first thing we were thinking about is ‘What would Jesus do?’ I’m pretty sure the first time my youngest daughter broke curfew by over two hours without calling us my first thoughts were not Jesus, help me to make my thoughts as yours. If Jesus was in my thoughts, it might have been more like, “Lord, Jesus, don’t have me kill this child!” 😊 In that response, we understand why it is important to maintain the approach of “being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” It is when we do those things that we are more likely to take on the attributes of Jesus. Think of the woman caught in adultery and how Jesus responded:
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:4-7
He did not jump to answer, respond, or get upset. But He responded in such a way that no one could condemn her. Thus, He effectively settled the situation with one subtle yet complete response. This is where we learn from the teacher Himself to stay calm even as the situation around might push us to act otherwise.
The wisdom of God’s word is always intended for the betterment of all. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Furthermore, the 13th verse adds, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” It is there that we find the connection between what God wants versus what we want. If we trust in His way, things will work out. So, let us work toward keeping ourselves in that mindset that keeps us focused on Jesus no matter the situation. How can you remind yourself of Jesus when the spirit of anger tugs at you? What triggers can you pray to God for help with? My prayer is that we grow spiritually to accept God’s word in our hearts. Amen … and Good Morning.